In the News
Beth Darnall, PhD, is an advocate for patient-centered evidence-based pain treatment and policy. She and her team’s work have been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, ABC News, Forbes, Scientific American, BBC Radio, NPR Radio, Nature, and TIME Magazine.
Recent Press Coverage
Our 'Fundamental Misunderstanding' of Pain
December 2023: WebMD includes commentary from Beth Darnall and features Empowered Relief® in this article exploring misconceptions about pain and the surprising power of behavioral interventions.
By Paul Frysh
New Cases of Chronic Pain Outnumber Those of Diabetes or Depression, Study Shows
May 2023: The New York Times includes Beth Darnall’s perspective on a new JAMA Network Open study showing rising incidence of chronic pain in the U.S.
By Dani Blum
VR-Based Training Conferred Long-Term Relief From Back Pain
February 2023: Pain Medicine News features Beth Darnall’s comments on AppliedVR’s extended durability results for its virtual reality device that treats chronic low back pain.
By Kenneth Bender
Will the New CDC Opioid Prescribing Guidelines Help Correct the Course in Pain Care?
December 2022: JAMA Network includes Beth Darnall’s comments in the news and perspective article entitled “Will the New CDC Opioid Prescribing Guidelines Help Correct the Course in Pain Care?”.
By Rachel Rabkin Peachman
What is pain, how does it work and what happens when it goes wrong?
November 2022: New Scientist article includes Beth Darnall’s thoughts on pain, psychology and placebo effects.
By Stephani Sutherland, PhD
Artificial Intelligence, Mobile Health Tools Comparable to Teletherapy for Chronic Back Pain
November 2022: Pain Medicine News includes Beth Darnall’s commentary on new pain treatment research that studies artificial intelligence supported text messaging alongside telephone CBT.
Pain: The Great Motivator
November 2022: MedPage Today publishes a print and video interview featuring Beth Darnall and Sean Mackey: “Pain: The Great Motivator.”
Edited by Genevieve Friedman and Emily Hutto
The Power of Brief Mental Health Therapies
October 2022: The Wall Street Journal includes Empowered Relief® in the this article about the benefits of targeted, time-limited programs for people struggling with anxiety and other problems.
By Dr. Jenny Taitz
Reforming Pain
August 2022: Stanford Medicine Magazine includes Beth Darnall’s work and the science of Empowered Relief® in the pain treatment feature article “Reforming Pain.”
By Gordy Slack
Revolutionizing Digital Pain Management
June 2022: MedPage Today publishes a video interview with Beth Darnall about her colleagues’ and her research on My Surgical Success and implications for the broader field of digital innovations in pain management.
Edited by Emily Hutto
Can Virtual Reality Help Ease Chronic Pain?
April 2022: New York Times Magazine quotes Beth Darnall and describes her role in the development of the AppliedVR virtual reality treatment in the article, "Can Virtual Reality Help Ease Chronic Pain?”
By Helen Ouyang
A single-session class offers chronic low back pain relief
December 2021: Harvard Health features Empowered Relief in the story, “A single-session class offers chronic low back pain relief.”
By Matthew Solan
Pain Secrets: The Science of Everyday Pain
November 2021: Public Broadcasting System (PBS) features Beth Darnall and Empowered Relief in a documentary titled “Pain Secrets: The Science of Everyday Pain”. Broadcast in November and December throughout U.S. television markets.
Virtual Reality for Chronic Back Pain Wins FDA Nod
November 2021: MedPage Today mentions Beth Darnall’s role in the FDA approval of AppliedVR’s virtual reality treatment for chronic pain.
By Judy George
How Psychologists Can Help Treat Chronic Pain
November 2021: The New York Times includes Beth Darnall’s perspective and includes coverage of Empowered Relief in the story “How Psychologists Can Help Treat Chronic Pain.”
By Sushma Subramanian
Opioid crackdown had 'tremendous fallout,' with more suicides, drug overdoses among patients
November 2021: Tulsa World covers Beth Darnall’s Nov. 1 testimony to the Oklahoma State Legislature on the topic of iatrogenic harms from opioid deprescribing and needed patient protections.
By Randy Krehbiel
One Pain Relief Skills Class Found Effective for Chronic Low Back Pain
October 2021: Pain Medicine News features Empowered Relief and interviews Beth Darnall about the newest publication in JAMA Network Open.
By Bob Kronemyer
Dose Tapering in Patients Prescribed Long-Term Opioids: More Harm Than Good?
October 2021: Pain Research Forum features Beth Darnall’s perspective in the story, "Dose Tapering in Patients Prescribed Long Term Opioids: More Harm Than Good?"
By Lincoln Tracy
Tapering Opioids May Drive Overdose, Mental Health Crises
September 2021: Practical Pain Management publishes a feature interview with Beth Darnall for the story “Tapering Opioids May Drive Overdose, Mental Health Crises.”
By Heidi Splete
Single-Session Skills Class Provides Chronic Pain Relief
August 2021: MedPage Today features the JAMA Network Open study and Dr. Darnall’s thoughts on the Empowered Relief clinical trial and its significance.
By Judy George
New approach effectively relieves chronic low back pain
August 2021: Stanford University publishes a Scopeblog on the new Empowered Relief clinical trial results that published in JAMA Network Open.
By Jennifer Huber
NIH-funded study suggests a single skills-based session on pain management packs a punch
August 2021: The NIH issues a press release on the Empowered Relief clinical trial results that published in JAMA Network Open.
Abrupt Cessation of Long-Term Opioid Prescribing Common
February 2021: MedPage Today interviews Beth Darnall for a discussion of other scientists’ new research in the article “Abrupt Cessation of Long-Term Opioid Prescribing Common.”
By Judy George
Breakthrough Virtual Reality Therapy Targets Fibromyalgia and Chronic Low Back Pain
January 2021: Practical Pain Management interviews Beth Darnall for the feature article on the virtual reality treatment she co-developed and investigates.
By Avery Hurt
Staying Sane and Current on COVID-19 — Advice and resources, by specialty, for those caring for patients
April 2020: MedPage Today features Beth Darnall’s COVID-19 strategies for coping and wellness.
Life after opioids: 'We have not served our patients well'
February 2020: The Guardian features Beth Darnall’s thoughts on iatrogenic harms caused from opioid tapering.
By Celina Ribeiro
How to Break the Bonds of Opioids
January 2020: Scientific American features the EMPOWER study and advocacy and research efforts led by Beth Darnall and colleagues in the article "Breaking the Bond of Opioids."
By Claudia Wallis
Stanford Offers a Mindful Approach to Pain Relief
December 2019: The Mercury News publishes front-page story on Beth Darnall and colleagues’ "My Surgical Success" research in the article "Stanford Offers a Mindful Approach to Pain Relief."
By Jonathan Wosen
Patient-centered pain management
September 2019: Monitor on Psychology includes Beth Darnall’s comments on behavioral pain management in America, discusses her APA press book, and treatments that expand access to acute and chronic pain care ("My Surgical Success" and "Empowered Relief").
By Deborah Bailey
How the Brain Shapes Pain and Links Emotion with Ouch
May 2019: National Public Radio includes Beth Darnall among pain experts on "Morning Edition" national broadcast entitled "How the Brain Shapes Pain and Links Emotion with Ouch."
Host Jon Hamilton
Real Pain Relief, Now!
May 2019: Consumer Reports includes Beth Darnall’s expert opinion on behavioral pain management in the article entitled "Pain Relief, Now!"
By Teresa Carr
Rapidly taking patients off opioids might not be a good idea, experts say
December 2018: Reuter’s Health wire service publishes this article featuring the international stakeholder letter effort led by Beth Darnall, submitted to HHS, and published in Pain Medicine: "Rapidly taking patients off opioids might not be a good idea, experts say." This wire article was picked up by 10 news outlets in Asia, Europe and North America.
By Tamara Mathias