Influence of psychological stress on physical pain

Abstract

The goal of this study was to determine the influence of psychological stress on non‐pathologic physical pain in a general population. Data pertaining to the source of, response to, and coping with stress, as well as site and intensity of pain was collected on 91 non‐patient subjects using a self‐report questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of a Global Assessment of Recent Stress, Stress Response Inventory and Ways of Coping Checklist, in addition to the Site and Intensity of Stress‐Related Pain. It was found that the degree of stress was proportional to the pain severity. Also, the degree of responses to stress and coping style played a role in pain severity. Moreover, economic status, stress from sickness or injury, and somatization were the best predictors of the pain severity in our study population. The most common stress‐related pain was occipital headache, and the pain sites were dependent on certain stress variables. The high pain group and no pain group showed distinct demographic and stress profiles. The various aspects of psychological stress affect the incidence, site and intensity of physical pain. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Depressive symptoms and bodily pain: the role of physical disability and social stress

“…Specifically, exposure to social stressors such as recent life events and daily discrimination partially mediated the association between prior depressive symptoms and changes in pain. Consistent with research indicating an increased risk for stress exposure among persons with depression (Hammen 1991, 2006) and a linkage between psychological stress and bodily pain (Hwang et al, 2008), our findings indicate that depressed persons are at heightened risk for stress exposure that, in turn, increases risk for bodily pain.…”

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Instructional Design Map for Immersive Fencing Training in Virtual Reality

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The relationship between dispositional mindfulness and eating : an analysis of self-reported and in vivo eating behaviors in undergraduate females.

“…Stress has been identified as a contributing factor in a number of psychological difficulties, such as depression (Hammen, 2005) and insomnia (Dikeos & Soldatos, 2005), as well as physical illnesses, including heart disease (Esler, Schwarz, & Alvarenga, 2008) and chronic pain (Hwang et al, 2008). It has been shown that unremitting stress can directly affect health through a variety of physiological pathways, including dysregulation of autonomic, biological, and neuroendocrine functions (Sapolsky, 2004).…”