Overview
Background
I am an endorsed Clinical and Health Psychologist, and my main area of research interest is in optimising non-pharmacological treatment options for chronic pain. My program of research is primarily focused on implementing randomised controlled trials designed to evaluate the efficacy and mechanisms of cognitive-behavioural and mindfulness-based interventions for heterogeneous chronic pain conditions. My concurrent line of research aims to further our understanding of the experience of chronic pain via converging methodologies (including experimental pain paradigms and electroencephalogram), as well as advance our capacity to accurately assess its multidimensional nature. I have led the development, application, and evaluation of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for chronic pain, and I disseminated this treatment approach for research and clinical use via my sole-authored book, published by Wiley in 2017. My US-based collaborators and I have a number of on-going NIH and foundation funded treatment trials underway at the University of Washington, Seattle. I am also an Affiliate Associate Professor at the University of Washington.
Availability
- Associate Professor Melissa Day is:
- Available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Science, The University of Alabama
- Masters (Coursework), The University of Alabama
- Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Alabama
Research interests
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Chronic pain
Assessment and management of chronic pain
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Pain
Understanding the mechanisms of pain and its relief
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Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy
Efficacy and mechanisms for chronic pain management
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Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy
Efficacy and mechanisms for chronic pain management; adapting the literacy level of CBT for use in low-SES groups.
Research impacts
In leading large, multidisciplinary teams my research is determining the mechanisms underpinning pain and its relief and advancing precision medicine to tailor chronic pain treatments for optimised outcomes for the one in five Australian adults living with unremitting chronic pain. In the context of the opioid epidemic, non-pharmacological treatments – such as the psychological treatments I have developed – are now the recommended first line treatment approach for chronic pain. The research I lead informs policy, including within NICE guidelines in the UK that provide evidence-based recommendations on how healthcare professionals should treat and care for people living with chronic pain. I am a team leader of the impactful clinical trials arm of UQ’s newly launched Centre for Innovation in Pain and Health Research (CIPHeR) which brings together >200 multidisciplinary pain researchers.
Works
Search Professor Melissa Day’s works on UQ eSpace
2012
Journal Article
The communal coping model of catastrophizing: patient-health provider interactions
Tsui, Patricia, Day, Melissa, Thorn, Beverly, Rubin, Nancy, Alexander, Chelley and Jones, Richard (2012). The communal coping model of catastrophizing: patient-health provider interactions. Pain Medicine, 13 (1), 66-79. doi: 10.1111/j.1526-4637.2011.01288.x
2012
Journal Article
The continuing evolution of biopsychosocial interventions for chronic pain
Day, MELISSA A., Thorn, Beverly E. and Burns, John W. (2012). The continuing evolution of biopsychosocial interventions for chronic pain. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy, 26 (2), 114-129. doi: 10.1891/0889-8391.26.2.114
2011
Journal Article
Randomized trial of group cognitive behavioral therapy compared with a pain education control for low-literacy rural people with chronic pain
Thorn, Beverly E., Day, Melissa A., Burns, John, Kuhajda, Melissa C., Gaskins, Susan W., Sweeney, Kelly, McConley, Regina, Ward, L. Charles and Cabbil, Chalanda (2011). Randomized trial of group cognitive behavioral therapy compared with a pain education control for low-literacy rural people with chronic pain. Pain, 152 (12), 2710-2720. doi: 10.1016/j.pain.2011.07.007
2011
Journal Article
A qualitative analysis of a randomized controlled trial comparing a cognitive-behavioral treatment with education
Day, Melissa A., Thorn, Beverly E. and Kapoor, Shweta (2011). A qualitative analysis of a randomized controlled trial comparing a cognitive-behavioral treatment with education. Journal of Pain, 12 (9), 941-952. doi: 10.1016/j.jpain.2011.02.354
2011
Journal Article
Race and sex differences in primary appraisals, catastrophizing, and experimental pain outcomes
Forsythe, Laura Pence, Thorn, Beverly, Day, Melissa and Shelby, Grace (2011). Race and sex differences in primary appraisals, catastrophizing, and experimental pain outcomes. Journal of Pain, 12 (5), 563-572. doi: 10.1016/j.jpain.2010.11.003
2011
Journal Article
Literacy and cultural adaptations for cognitive behavioral therapy in a rural pain population
Kuhajda, M. C., Thorn, B. E., Gaskins, S. W., Day, M. A. and Cabbil, C. M. (2011). Literacy and cultural adaptations for cognitive behavioral therapy in a rural pain population. Translational Behavioral Medicine, 1 (2), 216-223. doi: 10.1007/s13142-011-0026-2
2010
Journal Article
The relationship of demographic and psychosocial variables to pain-related outcomes in a rural chronic pain population
Day, Melissa A. and Thorn, Beverly E. (2010). The relationship of demographic and psychosocial variables to pain-related outcomes in a rural chronic pain population. Pain, 151 (2), 467-474. doi: 10.1016/j.pain.2010.08.015
Supervision
Availability
- Associate Professor Melissa Day is:
- Available for supervision
Looking for a supervisor? Read our advice on how to choose a supervisor.
Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
A transdiagnostic approach to understanding co-occurring substance use and chronic pain.
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Tony Barnett
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Master Philosophy
Lived Experience of Mindfulness-Based Interventions in Chronic Pain - A Qualitative Review
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Jonathan Davies
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Doctor Philosophy
Psychology in the Intensive Care Unit: An Australian Context
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Elizabeth Ward
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Doctor Philosophy
What makes a good pain clinician: partnering withconsumers and supervisors
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Michele Sterling
Completed supervision
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2026
Doctor Philosophy
Development of an Internet-Delivered Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Chronic Pain Management Program
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Leanne Hides
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2025
Doctor Philosophy
Advancing the understanding and psychological treatment of pain and burnout prevention in athletes
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Paul Hodges
Media
Enquiries
Contact Associate Professor Melissa Day directly for media enquiries about:
- Chronic Pain
- Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy
- Coping
- Mindfulness
- Pain
- Psychosocial Pain Management
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