Search

Native Americans (NAs) are at increased risk for chronic pain. One mechanism contributing to this pain disparity could be personal pain beliefs, which may influence actual pain sensitivity. Thus, we examined whether self-evaluated pain sensitivity (SEPS) mediates the relationship between ethnicity [NAs vs. non-Hispanic Whites (NHWs)] and objectively-measured pain tolerance, and whether catastrophic thinking and pain-related anxiety influence these pain beliefs. 232 healthy, pain-free NAs and NHWs completed questionnaires measuring SEPS, catastrophizing, and anxiety. Objective pain tolerance was also assessed. Results suggested: (1) NAs reported higher levels of SEPS, catastrophizing, and anxiety, (2) catastrophizing may have enhanced anxiety and both catastrophizing and anxiety were associated with higher SEPS, and (3) anxiety and SEPS were associated with lower pain tolerance. A significant bootstrapped mediation analysis suggested NAs experienced higher pain-related anxiety, which may have promoted higher SEPS, that in turn reduced pain tolerance. Longitudinal research is needed to confirm this. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objectives of this study were to assess within-person hypotheses regarding temporal cognition-pain associations: (1) do morning pain flares predict changes in two afternoon adaptive and maladaptive pain-related cognitions, and (2) do these changes in afternoon cognitions predict changes in end-of-day pain reports, which in turn, carry over to predict next morning pain in individuals with fibromyalgia. Two hundred twenty individuals with fibromyalgia completed electronic assessments of pain intensity, pain catastrophizing, and pain coping efficacy three times a day for three weeks. Multilevel structural equation modeling established that afternoon catastrophizing and coping efficacy were parallel mediators linking late morning with end-of-day pain reports (controlling for afternoon pain), in line with prediction. Catastrophizing was a stronger mediator than coping efficacy. Moreover, afternoon cognitions and end-of-day pain reports served as sequential mediators of the relation between same-day and next-day morning pain. These findings align with assertions of cognitive-behavioral theories of pain that pain flares predict changes in pain both adaptive and maladaptive cognitions, which in turn, predict further changes in pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the 201 Bol model that explains fatigue in multiple sclerosis (MS) from a biopsychosocial perspective, including cognitive-behavioral factors. Topics discussed include cross-validated model indicating a significant role for disease severity, depression and a fear-avoidance cycle in explaining MS-related fatigue. Also mentioned are modifiable factors, such as depression and catastrophizing thoughts, proposing targets for treatment options.

Recent research has indicated that the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) is a reliable measure that taps three dimensions of a singular construct. Gender differences have been found consistently in catastrophizing, with women reporting significantly higher scores than men on the PCS. This study was designed to cross-validate the factor structure of the PCS, independently for men and women, through second-order confirmatory factor analysis. Results indicate that the second-order models provide a good fit to the data. The conceptualization of catastrophizing as a singular latent construct, within a hierarchical factorial structure that consists of three first-order factors—rumination, magnification, and helplessness, was supported for both men and women. The second research objective was to test the two models for gender equivalence. Results indicate that all constraints held across gender. Together, these findings support the psychometric soundness of the PCS and indicate that the gender differences found are not due to an inadequate fit of the measurement or structural model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]