Assessment of the Situation During Pain by Patients With Chronic Pain

Abstract

The way a person perceives and interprets the situation during pain provokes a variety of emotional and behavioral responses. Aim: The aim of the study was to analyze the assessment of the situation during pain by patients with chronic pain. Materials and methods: A sample of 120 patients with chronic pain was studied. Sixty-one of them had clinically manifested symptoms of depression, and fifty-nine had no depression. The patients were evaluated using the following scales: HAM-D-17, Spielberger questionnaire – STAI – form Y1 and form Y2 and VAS. A model of four situations was applied to assess the situation during pain: unique, risky, routine and situation of uncertainty. Results: The mean age of the sample was 51.90±11.94. Women predominate (81.7%) over men (18.3%). The group with depression had moderate severity of depression and pain intensity and high state and trait anxiety. A majority of them (48.4%) assessed the situation during pain as a risk and/or an uncertainty. The group without depression had moderate state and trait anxiety and mild pain intensity. More than half of them (62.7%) assessed the situation as routine. Conclusion: Depression and anxiety affect the perceived situation during pain. Assessing and understanding the specific links between them is essential for forming adaptive ways of coping with chronic pain.