title: Pain and Personality: Do Individuals with Different Forms of Chronic Pain Exhibit a Mutual Personality?
abstract: The role of personality in the experience of chronic pain is a growing field, with endless debate regarding the existence of a "pain personality". This study aims to compare different chronic pain types and consolidate the existence of a common personality. Thirty-two females with chronic orofacial pain and 37 age-matched healthy females were assessed with the Temperament and Character Inventory-Revised. Chronic pain subjects had either trigeminal neuropathy (neuropathic pain) or temporomandibular disorders (nociceptive pain). This study revealed that individuals with different chronic pain types exhibit a mutual personality profile encompassing significantly higher scores in Harm Avoidance and significantly lower scores in Self-Directedness when compared to healthy subjects. In fact, this combination is associated with Cluster C personality disorders. In conclusion, our study reveals that irrespective of type, chronic pain may be associated with Cluster C personality disorders. Indeed, there has never been empirical evidence in the past to suggest that chronic pain as an overall concept is associated with any particular personality disorders. Therefore, a potential future avenue of chronic pain treatment may lie in targeting particular personality aspects and shift the target of pain-relieving treatments from sensory and psychologically state focused to psychologically trait focused.
authors: Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, Australia.|Department of Anatomy & Histology, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.|School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
authors: Sylvia M
authors: SM
authors: Gustin
authors: Department of Anatomy & Histology, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
authors: Lucinda A
authors: LA
authors: Burke
authors: Jaw Function and Orofacial Pain Research Unit, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
authors: Chris C
authors: CC
authors: Peck
authors: Jaw Function and Orofacial Pain Research Unit, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
authors: Greg M
authors: GM
authors: Murray
authors: Department of Anatomy & Histology, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
authors: Luke A
authors: LA
authors: Henderson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010551:Personality; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: character; orofacial pain; personality; psychology; temperament; temporomandibular joint dysfunction syndrome; trigeminal neuropathy