Is emotional disturbance a precipitator or a consequence of chronic pain?
The present study examined the relationship between psychological factors and pain in order to assess the contribution of emotional disturbance to the perpetuation of pain. A group of 163 chronic pain suffers in multiple settings was compared with 81 control subjects on measures of personal history antecedent to pain onset, as well as on measures of current emotional disturbance. In addition, these psychological variables were examined for their associations with subjectively rated pain intensity. Overall, pain was found to be related to more current depression and less current life satisfaction, but was not associated with most of the personal history variables examined. These results suggests that emotional disturbance in pain patients is more likely to be a consequence than a cause of chronic pain. The dangers of routinely ascribing intractable pain to psychological causation are discussed in the light of these findings.
Gamsa
Ann
A
Département de Psychologie, Université de Montréal, Case Postale 6128, Succursale A, Montreal, Que.Canada Pain Clinic, Montreal General Hospital, Montreal, Que. H3G 1A4 Canada.
D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D010045:Outpatients; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D010361:Patients; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D012016:Reference Values; D012044:Regression Analysis