A biopsychosocial formulation of pain communication.

Abstract

We present a detailed framework for understanding the numerous and complicated interactions among psychological and social determinants of pain through examination of the process of pain communication. The focus is on an improved understanding of immediate dyadic transactions during painful events in the context of broader social phenomena. Fine-grain consideration of social transactions during pain leads to an appreciation of sociobehavioral events affecting both suffering persons as well as caregivers. Our examination considers knowledge from a variety of perspectives, including clinical health psychology, social and developmental processes, evolutionary psychology, communication studies, and behavioral neuroscience.

Partner Behavioral Responses to Pain Mediate the Relationship Between Partner Pain Cognitions and Pain Outcomes in Women With Provoked Vestibulodynia

“…In the present case, an increased response to pain may be due to fears about its negative consequences for both the patient and the partner her/himself. If a patient is exhibiting pain behaviors, either verbal or non-verbal, these may serve a communicative function, such as to convey distress, and this is then interpreted by the receiver based upon their own cognitive characteristics, as per the pain communication model 17 . This communicative process may lead to partner catastrophizing, followed by a partner behavioral response (solicitousness).…”

“…The pain communication model 8,17 proposes that the pain messages sent by the encoder (woman with PVD) will be decoded by the receiver (her partner) through the receiver's cognitive and affective responses. How the partner (receiver) decodes this information will be dependent on his cognitions, and these pain-related cognitions may subsequently influence his behavioral responses to pain.…”

Health Care Professionals' Reactions to Patient Pain: Impact of Knowledge About Medical Evidence and Psychosocial Influences

“…6,39,40,51,53,62 Basic to delivery of care is the necessary but difficult task of understanding the subjective experience of pain, a covert experience to which observers do not have direct and complete access. 26 Recognizing the private features of the experience inevitably creates uncertainty in the healthcare practitioner about the basis for pain complaints and symptoms and appropriate treatment decisions. 56 Although pain is now widely acknowledged to be a biopsychosocial phenomenon 23 , the biomedical model which presumes that pain is caused by physiological pathology remains the most influential in patient care.…”

Negative Emotional Responses Elicited by the Anticipation of Pain in Others: Psychophysiological Evidence

“…Through first-hand experiences, we learn to predict pain, and these signals for pain may in themselves become a source of fear and action 1,7,29,38,75 . However, pain is rarely a private event as the sufferer's reactions to pain have the capacity to communicate pain to others 40 . According to the communications model of pain, pain may have a profound influence on both the observer and pain sufferer 40 .…”

“…However, pain is rarely a private event as the sufferer's reactions to pain have the capacity to communicate pain to others 40 . According to the communications model of pain, pain may have a profound influence on both the observer and pain sufferer 40 . Specifically, learning about pain may also occur indirectly by observing when others experience pain 14,37,43,61 .…”