title: The role of positive traits and pain catastrophizing in pain perception.
abstract: A variety of biological, psychological, and social factors interact to influence pain. This article focuses on two distinct, but connected, psychological factors--positive personality traits and pain catastrophizing--and their link with pain perception in healthy and clinical populations. First, we review the protective link between positive personality traits, such as optimism, hope, and self-efficacy, and pain perception. Second, we provide evidence of the well-established relationship between pain catastrophizing and pain perception and other related outcomes. Third, we outline the inverse relationship between positive traits and pain catastrophizing, and offer a model that explains the inverse link between positive traits and pain perception through lower pain catastrophizing. Finally, we discuss clinical practice recommendations based on the aforementioned relationships.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, California State University San Marcos, 333 S. Twin Oaks Valley Rd., San Marcos, CA 92096, USA. kpulvers@csusm.edu
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pulvers
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hood
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000339:Affect; D058443:Catastrophization / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain / Q000523:psychology*; D058748:Pain Perception; D010551:Personality; D020377:Self Efficacy