EVALUATING PSYCHOSOCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO CHRONIC PAIN OUTCOMES

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE

Chronic pain continues to be one of the most challenging 'diagnoses' or issues seen in the clinic. This article reviews two categories of studies that evaluate the contributions of psychosocial factors into the experience of chronic pain: general psychosocial variables such as distress, trauma and interpersonal factors are discussed, and pain-specific psychosocial variables including catastrophizing, expectations and pain-related coping, are examined.

METHODS

No methods were listed. 403 references were cited throughout the course of the article, indicating the review was extensive.

RESULTS

"The biopsychosocial approach describes pain and disability as a multidimensional, dynamic interaction among physiological, psychological and social factors that reciprocally influence one another, resulting in chronic and complex pain syndromes' (Gatchel 2014, Jensen 2014). While many people who work in

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