title: The Relationship Between Pain Catastrophizing and Outcomes of a 3-Week Comprehensive Pain Rehabilitation Program.
abstract: OBJECTIVE : Pain catastrophizing is an important predictor of functioning and disability among individuals with chronic pain, and modification of catastrophic interpretations of pain is a proposed treatment mechanism of pain rehabilitation. The purpose of the current study is to examine the relationship between changes in catastrophic thinking and treatment outcomes for a large sample of patients with chronic pain. METHODS : 648 adult patients with chronic pain completed a 3-week intensive outpatient comprehensive pain rehabilitation program. Measures of pain severity, pain-related life interference, depression, and pain catastrophizing were completed at admission and discharge. RESULTS : Consistent with prior research, pain catastrophizing was associated with several negative pain-related outcomes. Results of a within-subjects mediational analysis indicated that pain catastrophizing not only improved during the treatment program, but also accounted for a significant portion of the variance in the reduction of pain severity, pain interference, and depression at the end of treatment. CONCLUSIONS : This study adds further support to the position that pain catastrophizing has a detrimental role in adaptation to chronic pain, and that this construct can be successfully modified in treatment to improve patient outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA sperry.jeannie@mayo.edu.
authors.forename: Julia R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Craner
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
authors.forename: Jeannie A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Sperry
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
authors.forename: Michele M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Evans
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D058443:Catastrophization / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D059408:Pain Management / Q000379:methods*; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Catastrophizing; Chronic Pain; Pain Management; Psychology; Rehabilitation Medicine