JEBP

  • About
  • Journal’s Board
  • Submission and Instructions to Authors
  • Issues
  • News

PREDICTORS OF PAIN INTENSITY AND EMOTIONAL DISTRESS IN PATIENTS WHO SUFFER FROM CHRONIC PAIN. A BRIEF RESEARCH REPORT

Alina Ioana Cîmpean1,3*, Silviu Andrei Matu2,3

*alina.cimpean904@gmail.com
1 Doctoral School Evidence-based assessment and psychological interventions; Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca
2 Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Babeş-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca, Romania
3 The International Institute for the Advanced Studies of Psychotherapy
and Applied Mental Health, Babeş-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca, Romania

 

Abstract

Objective: Cognitive-behavioral models of chronic pain point out the importance of cognitive mechanisms that amplify the intensity of pain (Keffe, Dunsmore, & Burnett 1992). This study aims to investigate the role of cognitive and emotional characteristics on pain intensity and distress in a sample of patients diagnosed with coxarthrosis, namely a chronic pain condition.
Research method: Correlational and regression analyses were conducted. The data were collected during two meeting-sessions, two days before surgery and nine days after surgery.
Results: A total of 31 patients diagnosed with coxarthrosis participated in this study. We found significant positive correlation among pre-surgery distress, fear of pain, pain catastrophizing, and automatic thoughts. Fear of pain and pain catastrophizing explained pre-surgery emotional distress variance. Post-surgery distress was positively correlated with fear of pain, pain catastrophizing, automatic thoughts, and optimism. Also, a positive correlation was found between pre-surgery pain and emotional distress. Post-surgery pain was positively correlated with pain catastrophizing, fear of pain, automatic thoughts, and distress.
Implications: Pain catastrophizing and fear of pain may still be the key to understanding the persistence of pain among patients who suffer from a chronic condition.

Keywords: chronic pain, pain catastrophizing, fear of pain, emotional distress, hip replacement surgery

Doi: 10.24193/jebp.2018.1.9

Published online: 2018/03/01
Published print: 2018/03/01

References
Arntz, A., & Claassens, L. (2004). The meaning of pain influences its experienced intensity, Pain, (109), 20-25.
Beck, A. T, Rush, A., & Shaw, B. F. (1984). Cognitive Therapy of Depression. An Overview. 1st ed. New York, NY: Guilford Press; 1-33.
Borkum, J. M. (2010). Maladaptive Cognitions and Chronic Pain: Epidemiology, Neuro¬biology, and Treatment, Rational-Emotional and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, 28:4–24.
Burns, J. W., Glenn, B., Bruehl, S., Harden, R. N., & Lofland, K. (2003). Cognitive factors influence outcome following multidisciplinary chronic pain treatment: a replication and extension of a cross-lagged panel analysis. Behavior Research and Therapy, 41(10), 1163-1182.
Crombez, G., Vlaeyen, J. W., Heuts, P. H., & Lysens, R. (1999). Pain-related fear is more disabling than pain itself: evidence on the role of pain-related fear in chronic back pain disability. Pain, 80(1-2), 229-239.
David, D., Lynn, S. J., & Ellis, A. (Eds.). (2009). Rational and irrational beliefs: Research, theory, and clinical practice. Oxford University Press.
David, D., & Hofmann, S. G. (2013). Another error of Descartes? Implications for the “third wave” cognitive-behavioral therapy. Journal of Cognitive and Behavioral Psychotherapies, 13(1), 115-124.
Duivenvoorden T, Vissers MM, Verhaar JA, Busschbach JJ, Gosens T, Bloem RR, et al. Anxiety and depressive symptoms before and after total hip and knee arthroplasty: a pros¬pective multicentre study. Osteoarthritis Cartilage 2013;21: 1834–1840. pmid:24012622
De Peuter, S., Jong, J., Crombez, G., & Vlaeyen, J. W. (2009). The Nature and Treatment of Pain-Related Fear in Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy, 85-101. 69.
Dilorenzo, T. A., Bovbjerg, D. H., Montgomery, G. H., Valdimarsdottir, H., & Jacobsen, P. B. (1999). The application of a shortened version of the profile of mood states in a sample of breast cancer chemotherapy patients. British Journal of Health Psychology, 4(4), 315-325.
Endrighi R, Hamer M, Steptoe A (2012). Associations of trait optimism with diurnal neuroendocrine activity, cortisol responses to mental stress, and subjective stress measures in healthy men and women. Psychosomatic Medicine, 73: 672-678.
Feuerstein M, Beattie P. (1995). Biobehavioral factors affecting pain and disability in low back pain: Mechanisms and assessment. Physical Therapy; 75:267–79.
Fordyce, W. E., Lansky, D., Calsyn, D. A., Shelton, J. L., Stolov, W. C., & Rock, D. L. (1984). Pain measurement and pain behavior. Pain, 18(1), 53-69.
Hazlett A, Molden D. C, Sackett A. M (2011). Hoping for the best or preparing for the worst? Regulatory focus and preferences for optimism and pessimism in predicting personal
outcomes. Social Cognition 29: 74-96.
Hollon, S., & Kendall, P. (2007). Chestionarul Gandurilor Automate (Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire-ATQ). In D. David, Scale de evaluare clinical (R. Moldovan, Trad.). Cluj- Napoca: RTS.
Keefe, F. J., Dunsmore, J., & Burnett, R. (1992). Behavioral and cognitive-behavioral approaches to chronic pain: Recent advances and future directions. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 60(4), 528.
Leeuw, M., Goossens, M. E., Linton, S. J., Crombez, G., Boersma, K., & Vlaeyen, J. W. (2007). The fear-avoidance model of musculoskeletal pain: current state of scientific evidence. Journal of behavioral medicine, 30(1), 77-94.
Luthar S. S, Cicchetti D, Becker B. (2000). The construct of resilience: a critical evaluation and guidelines for future work. Child Dev. 71:543–62.
Loeser, J. D., & Melzack, R. (1999). Pain: an overview. The Lancet, 353, 1607-1609.
Meevissen Y. M. C, Peters M. L, Alberts H. J. E.M (2011). Become more optimistic by imagining a best possible self: Effects of a two week intervention. J Behav Ther & Exp Psychiat 42:371-378.
McCraken, L. M., Zayfert, C., & Gross, R. T. (1992). The pain anxiety symptoms scale: development and validation of a scale to measure fear of pain. Pain, 50 (1), 67-73.
Nilsdotter, A. K., Peterson, I. F., Ross, E. M., & Lohmander, L. S. (2003). Predictors of patient relevant outcome after total hip replacement for osteoarthritis: A prospective study. Annals of Rheumatic Diseases, 62(10), 923-930.
Picavet, S. J., Vlaeyen, J. W., & Schouten, J. S. (2002). Pain Catastrophizing and Kinesiophobia: Predictors of Chronic Low Back Pain. American Journal of Epidemiology, 156(11), 1028-1034.
Pakarinen M, Vanhanen S, Sinikallio S, Aalto T, Lehto S. M, Airaksinen O (2014). Depressive burden is associated with a poorer surgical outcome among lumbar spinal stenosis patients: a 5-year follow-up study. Spine Journal, 14: 2392–2396.
Rutter M. (1987). Psychosocial resilience and protective mechanisms. Am J Orthopsychiat. 57:316–31.
Scheier, M. F., Carver, C. S., Michael W. B. (1994). Distinguishing optimism from neuroti¬cism (and trait anxiety, self-mastery, and self-esteem: A reevaluation of the Life Orientation Test. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol 67(6), Dec 1994, 1063.
Sturgeon, J. A., & Zautra, A. J. (2013). Psychological resilience, pain catastrophizing, and positive emotions: perspectives on comprehensive modeling of individual pain adaptation. Current Pain and Headache Reports, 17(3), 317.
Sullivan, M., Tanzer, M., Stanish, W., Fallaha, M., Keefe, F. J., Simmonds, M., & Dunbar, M. (2009). Psychological determinants of problematic outcomes following total knee arthroplasty. Pain, 143(1-2), 123-129.
Sullivan, M. J., Bishop, S. R., & Pivik, J. (1995). The pain catastrophizing scale: development and validation. Psychological assessment, 7(4), 524.
Turk, D. C., & Okifuji, A. (2002). Psychological factors in chronic pain: Evolution and revolution. Journal of consulting and clinical psychology, 70(3), 678.
Vlaeyen, J. W., Kole-Snijders, A. M., Rotteveel, A. M., Ruesink, R., & Heuts, P. H. (1995). The role of fear of movement/(re) injury in pain disability. Journal of occupational rehabilitation, 5(4), 235-252.1078.
Vlaeyen, J. W., & Linton, S. J. (2000). Fear-avoidance and its consequences in chronic musculoskeletal pain: a state of the art. Pain, 85(3), 317-332.
World Health Organization, World Organization of National Colleges, Academies, & Academic Associations of General Practitioners/Family Physicians. (2008). Integrating mental health into primary care: a global perspective. World Health Organization.

Jun 24, 2018Carmen Cotet
AN INVESTIGATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STRATEGIES THAT DOWNREGULATE POSITIVE AFFECT AND IRRATIONAL BELIEFS IN DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMSDEPRESSION AND DISORDERED EATING BEHAVIORS: THE ROLE OF EMOTION REGULATION DIFFICULTIES
Journal of Evidence-Based Psychotherapies

Journal of Evidence-Based Psychotherapies

Categories
  • Vol XIX, No.1, 2019 (9)
  • Vol XIX, No.2, 2019 (9)
  • Vol XX, No.1, 2020 (8)
  • Vol XX, No.2, 2020 (10)
  • Vol XXI, No. 1, 2021 (8)
  • Vol XXI, No. 2, 2021 (11)
  • Vol XXII, No.1, 2022 (9)
  • Vol XXII. No.2, 2022 (9)
  • Vol XXIII, No.1, 2023, Special Issue (8)
  • Vol XXIII, No.2, 2023 (9)
  • Vol XXIV, No.1, 2024, Special Issue (9)
  • Vol XXIV, No.2, 2024 (10)
  • Vol XXV, No. 1, 2025 (8)
  • Vol XVIII, No. 2, 2018 (10)
  • Vol XVIII, No. 1, 2018 (10)
  • Vol XVI, No. 2, 2016 (9)
  • About (7)
  • Vol XVII, No. 2, 2017 (10)
  • Vol XVII, No. 1, 2017 (9)
  • Vol XVI, No. 1, 2016 (9)
  • Vol XV, No. 2, 2015 (9)
  • Vol XV, No. 1, 2015 (12)
  • Vol XIV, No. 2, 2014 (13)
  • Vol XIV, No. 1, 2014 (7)
  • Vol XIII, No. 2, 2013 (13)
  • Vol XIII, Special Issue 2a, 2013 (11)
  • Vol XIII, Special Issue 1a, 2013 (7)
  • Vol XIII, No. 1, 2013 (8)
  • Vol XII, No. 2, 2012 (8)
  • Vol XII, No. 1, 2012 (9)
  • Vol XI, No. 2, 2011 (11)
  • Vol XI, No. 1, 2011 (8)
  • Vol X, No. 1, 2010 (9)
  • Vol IX, No. 2, 2009 (8)
  • Vol IX, No. 1, 2009 (9)
  • Vol VIII, No. 2, 2008 (11)
  • Vol VIII, No. 1, 2008 (9)
  • Vol VII, No. 2, 2007 (5)
  • Vol VII, No. 1, 2007 (7)
  • Vol VI, No. 2, 2006 (9)
  • Vol VI, No. 1, 2006 (8)
  • Vol V, No. 2, 2005 (7)
  • Vol V, No. 1, 2005 (6)
  • Vol IV, No. 2, 2004 (3)
Keywords
irrational beliefscbtrebtEditorialdistresscognitive-behavioral therapyappraisalcognitive restructuringschemasautism spectrum disordersbinary model of distressrational emotive behavior theoryconversion disorderautismhypnosispositive illusionstheory of mindearly interventioncommunicationdevelopmentthe Attitudes and Belief Scale 2incompatible information techniquedeficitsneural structurestoddlerscognitive psychologyrational anticipation techniquewithdrawal motivational systemsattributionsfunctional and dysfunctional negative emotionsunitary model of distressmind reading beliefsirrational and rational beliefstreatmenteating behavioursmental healtharousalpre-goal/ post-goal attainment positive emotionsfunctional and dysfunctional emotionscore relational themesapproach motivational systemsdemandingnessdysfunctional consequencesdysfunctional positive emotionspreferences
e-mail us:

jebpeditor@gmail.com

The International Institute for the Advanced Studies of Psychotherapy and Applied Mental Healt

http://psychotherapy.psiedu.ubbcluj.ro

2017 © Journal of Evidence-Based Psychotherapies