Impact of the interaction between selfefficacy, symptoms and catastrophizing on disability, quality of life and health in chronic pain patients

• This study investigates the interactions between self-efficacy–including subcomponents–and symptoms (pain, depression, and anxiety), catastrophizing, disability, quality of life, and health in a population of chronic pain patients. The study used 433 chronic pain patients including 47 patients with spinal cord injuryrelated pain, 150 with chronic whiplash-associated disorders, and 236 with fibromyalgia. The participants answered a postal questionnaire that provided background data, pain intensity and duration, and psychological- and health-related items. In the multivariate context, depression, anxiety, catastrophizing, and disability were intercorrelated. Self-efficacy correlated positively with variables of quality of life and general health. These two groups of variables were negatively correlated. The pain variables–duration of pain, pain intensity, and spreading of pain–formed a third group of variables. Self-efficacy function was negatively correlated to these three pain variables. When regressing disability, quality of life, and health, we found that self-efficacy had a positive impact whereas symptoms, catastrophizing, and pain had a negative influence on these aspects. Different patterns of influencing variables were discerned for the three different analyses, and specific patterns of the subscales of self-efficacy corresponded to specific patterns of negative factors for the outcome of disability, quality of life, and health. Perspective: This article presents the complex interaction of psychological factors and symptoms and their positive and negative influence on disability, quality of life, and health. The results indicate that it might be important to assess and influence both enhancing and detoriating factors to ensure an effective pain management programme.

Ämnesord

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Medicinteknik -- Medicinsk laboratorie- och mätteknik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Medical Engineering -- Medical Laboratory and Measurements Technologies (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Chronic pain

self-efficacy

disability

quality of life

health

depression

MEDICINE

MEDICIN

Medical engineering

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

art (ämneskategori)