Mediators of Pain and Physical Function in Female and Male Patients with Chronic Pain

• Main Authors: Danielsson L, Kvarstein G, Bergvik S
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Dove Medical Press 2020
• Subjects: depression; physical disability; comorbidity; catastrophizing; mediation; multidisciplinary treatment; Medicine (General); R5-920; Arctic; Norway; Tromsø; North Norway; Arctic University of Norway; UiT The Arctic University of Norway
• Online Access: https://doaj.org/article/3cb17709fd5d4b4f810d3c3e2a003f37

Lena Danielsson,1,2 Gunnvald Kvarstein,1,2 Svein Bergvik3 1Pain Clinic, Division Surgical Medicine and Intensive Care, University Hospital of North Norway, Tromsø, Norway; 2Department of Clinical Medicine, UiT - the Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway; 3Department of Psychology, UiT the Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, NorwayCorrespondence: Lena DanielssonPain Clinic, Division Surgical Medicine and Intensive Care, University Hospital of North Norway, Tromsø NO-9038, NorwayTel [phone]Email [e-mail]: Chronic pain is often multifactorial and accompanied by psychological distress, catastrophizing thoughts, reduced physical function, and socio-economic worries. In this explorative study, we investigated potential mediators in the relationships of psychological and demographic variables with chronic pain and physical function in women and men.Patients and Methods: The study included 301 patients admitted to a multidisciplinary pain clinic. Prior to their first consultation, patients completed a questionnaire including items on demographics (age, education, occupational and financial situation), catastrophizing thoughts, psychological distress, pain intensity, and physical function. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses examined demographic and psychological factors associated with pain intensity and physical function. Mediation and reversed mediation models were tested and developed based on calculated relations in the regression analyses between demographic, psychological, pain intensity and physical function variables.Results: Fifty-eight percent were females and mean age 43.8 and 46.0 years for women and men, respectively. In the regression analyses, psychological factors accounted better for pain intensity than demographic variables, while physical function was best accounted for by demographic variables. Among women, catastrophizing thoughts mediated significantly the relationships between education and pain intensity, and between education and physical function. ...