title: Differences in family functioning between patients with chronic headache and patients with chronic low back pain.
abstract: The family climate in 36 families, comprising 154 individuals, was investigated. The objective of this study was to compare families where the mother suffered from chronic headache to families with pain-free mothers and to those where the mother suffered from chronic low back pain. The Family Environment Scale (FES) was used to evaluate the family climate in these 3 groups as perceived by the members of the family. The results in sufficiently standardized groups show a significantly reduced intra-family openness (P < 0.0001) in families where the mother suffered from chronic headache. Both pain groups were less active in their leisure time than the pain-free families. Based on the findings of the present study, the impact of the psychosocial environment as a novel normative value for chronic pain syndromes is discussed in relation to the need for further research and treatment modalities.
authors.affiliation: University Hospital Innsbruck, Innsbruck (Austria) Hamburg Germany University Hospital Hamburg, Hamburg Germany.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kopp
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Richter
authors.forename: Johann
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rainer
authors.forename: Prisca
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kopp-Wilfling
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rumpold
authors.forename: Maria Hildegard
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Walter
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000818:Animals; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011584:Psychology; D011817:Rabbits; D011998:Recreation