Recruiting

Gratitude Journaling

Sponsor:

University of Florida

Code:

NCT06977100

Conditions

Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD)

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 70+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Interventions

Gratitude

General Wellness

Study Details

Brief summary:

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether a 2-week gratitude journaling activity is feasible and acceptable for individuals with Temporomandibular Disorder (TMD) and chronic overlapping pain. The study will also look at whether this activity is helpful in reducing pain and how much it interferes with daily life.

The primary aims of this study are to:

  • Assess whether individuals with TMD and chronic overlapping pain are able to complete the 2-week gratitude journaling activity as planned (feasibility).
  • Evaluate how acceptable participants find the gratitude journaling activity (acceptability).

The secondary aim of this study is to:

• Explore whether the gratitude journaling activity reduces pain and its impact on daily life, compared to a general wellness journaling activity.

Participants will:

  • Attend two in-person visits to complete questionnaires and take part in tests that measure how sensitive they are to pressure and heat.
  • Complete a 2-week journaling activity at home, writing in their journal on three days of their choice per week.

Conditions

Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD)

Study ID

NCT06977100

Start date

Aug 11, 2025

Status verified date

Jun, 2026

Completion date

Dec, 2026

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Nov, 2026

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 70+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

  • participants between the ages of 18 and 80
  • pain in the temporomandibular (TMD) region (jaw and/or temple area)
  • duration of pain is at least 3 months
  • average pain score ≥4 on a 0-10 numerical rating scale over the past week
  • have at least one additional chronic overlapping pain condition (COPC) including fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, migraine-type headache, tension-type headache, low back pain, interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome or chronic prostatitis, myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, vulvodynia, and painful endometriosis.
  • able to read, understand, and write in English.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • history of TMD surgery
  • neoplasm or injury/trauma to the TMD area
  • cancer-related pain
  • scheduled for any surgeries during the study time-frame
  • current participation in another clinical trial or psychological treatment for any pain-related condition that would interfere with study outcomes
  • pregnant or lactating
  • severe motor impairments (e.g., muscular dystrophy)
  • severe psychiatric conditions (e.g., uncontrolled mood disorders)
  • severe neurological or cognitive impairments (e.g., uncontrolled Parkinson's disease)
  • any other conditions that in the opinion of study investigators could make participation in the study unsafe
  • use of opioids within 48 hours prior to laboratory visit

Study Design

Enrollment

60 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Parallel Assignment

Primary purpose

Treatment

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: Gratitude Intervention

active comparator: General Wellness

Interventions

Gratitude

Participants in this group will receive a gratitude journal where they will be asked to write down three things they are grateful for each day and reflect why they are grateful for these things. Journaling will take place from the comfort of their home on three days of their choice per week, for a total duration of two weeks.

General Wellness

Participants in this group will receive a general wellness journal where they will be asked to reflect on three things that happened, or they did during the day (daily activities). Journaling will take place from the comfort of their home on three days of their choice per week, for a total duration of two weeks.

Primary outcome measure

  • Participant Retention [ Time Frame: Baseline to Week 4 ]
  • Treatment Satisfaction [ Time Frame: Week 4 ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Melissa Makhoul, PhD, MSN, RN

352-246-3153melissamakhoul@ufl.edu

Locations

University of Florida

Recruiting

Gainesville, Florida, United States, 32610

Contacts

Melissa Makhoul, Phd, MSN, RN

352-246-3153melissamakhoul@ufl.edu

More Information

Sponsor

University of Florida

Last update posted

Jun 29, 2026

Last verified

Jun, 2026

Keywords

  • Temporomandibular Disorder
  • Gratitude Journaling
  • Resilience
  • Pain Intensity
  • Pain Interference
  • Chronic Pain

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-10. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by University of Florida on 2026-06-29.