The Role of Pain Catastrophizing, Emotional Intelligence, and Pain Intensity in the Quality of Life of Cancer Patients with Chronic Pain

Abstract

Pain catastrophizing (PC) is a negative cognitive distortion to actual or anticipated pain. This study aims to investigate the relationship between pain catastrophizing, emotional intelligence, pain intensity, and quality of life (QoL) in cancer patients with chronic pain. Eighty-nine outpatients with chronic pain attending pain clinics and palliative care units were recruited. Participants were men (42.7%) and women (57.3%) with an average age of 56.44 years (SD = 14.82). Self-report psychological measures were completed, including a measure of emotional intelligence, a standard measure of PC, a scale assessing pain intensity, and a scale measuring QoL. The PC scale was found to assess three correlated yet different dimensions of pain catastrophizing (helplessness, magnification, and rumination). Moreover, as expected, patients with PC scale scores ≥ 30 had lower scores in functional QoL dimensions and higher scores in the fatigue, pain, and insomnia symptom dimensions. Regression analyses demonstrated that PC (B = − 0.391, p = 0.004), pain intensity (B = − 1.133, p < 0.001), and education (B = 2.915, p = 0.017) remained the only significant variables related to QoL, when controlling for demographic and clinical confounders. Regarding mediating effects, PC and pain intensity were jointly found to be significant mediators in the relationship between emotional intelligence and QoL. Results are discussed in the context of the clinical implications regarding interventions designed to improve cancer patients’ quality of life and offer new insight, understanding, and evaluation targets in the field of pain management.

Psychosocial factors contribute to the disability and distress associated with chronic pain in ambulatory patients attending an Australian cancer center

“…More participants (34, 57%) attributed their chronic pain to unrelated comorbidities than to cancer treatment (15, 25%). Old injuries (accidents at work, school, home, or involving motor vehicles) were commonest (n=11), followed by other medical diagnoses (8), post-operative pain (2), other unspeci ed causes (7), and no obvious cause (6).…”

“…They are known to contribute to cancer-related pain. [6,7] Cognitive and behavioral therapies have shown e cacy in modifying these factors and improving chronic pain outcomes,[8] yet access to these therapies remains limited [9].…”

Comparison of the degree of patient satisfaction between transoral thyroidectomy and open thyroidectomy: A survey-based study

“…The PCS is a measure of catastrophizing in the context of actual or anticipated pain. 9 The PCS measures catastrophizing as a multifaceted construct with three subscales: rumination, magni cation, and helplessness. PCS was used to digitize the patients in order to identify individuals who may be more vulnerable to higher pain responses.…”

Pain Catastrophizing: How Far Have We Come

“…A psychological factor which has consistently been shown to exert its influence on pain is a cognitive process referred to as pain catastrophizing. Numerous studies in the last thirty years have found it to be a strong predictor of pain intensity and disability across different clinical populations [ 5 ]. While it has been defined in many ways, most definitions of pain catastrophizing include an emphasis on the role of magnification of the threat value of pain, and the feeling of helplessness related to the experience of pain.…”