Pain Coping Skills for Colorectal Cancer Survivors

Colorectal cancer survivors experience long-term negative physical and psychosocial consequences of their disease. There is a critical need to develop novel behavioral interventions for improving colorectal cancer survivor outcomes. The investigators have developed a pain management intervention for colorectal cancer survivors that focuses on addressing both pain and psychological distress. Colorectal cancer survivors who endorse pain and comorbid psychological distress as a concern during a clinic-based survivorship care consult will be recruited. Participants will be randomized into either: Telephone-Based Coping Skills Training (CST) for pain and comorbid psychological distress or standard care. The CST condition will receive 5 sessions of a cognitive behavior theory-based protocol that teaches coping skills (e.g., relaxation, activity pacing/planning, cognitive restructuring) relevant to managing pain and psychological distress. The standard care control condition will receive resources and referrals related to managing survivorship health.