Psychosocial Predictors of Pain and Disability Outcomes in People with Chronic Low Back Pain Treated Conservatively by Guideline-Based Intervention: A Systematic Review

Objective Previous evidence has recommended conservative interventions as the best treatment in individuals with chronic low back pain (CLBP). However, the influence of psychosocial factors on the treatment outcomes is unclear. Therefore, this systematic review aimed to address the psychosocial factors that influence changes in pain and disability in patients with CLBP after a guideline-based conservative intervention. Methods Four electronic databases were systematically searched from inception until September 2020 for prospective studies examining the relationship between psychosocial factors and the outcomes of pain and disability after conservative intervention. All included studies were selected, extracted, and critically evaluated by two independent reviewers. Results In total, 15 studies were included in this systematic review. The results support the link between the baseline fear of movement, depression, self-efficacy, and catastrophizing with future functional disability outcomes after conservative interventions. However, these factors were less likely to predict changes in pain intensity outcomes after conservative interventions. Self-efficacy seems to mediate between some of the baseline psychosocial factors (eg, fear) and future pain and disability. Conclusion Fear of movement, self-efficacy, catastrophizing and depression were consistently reported to predict disability outcomes irrespective of the type of conservative intervention. This highlights the importance of addressing these factors in conservative management of CLBP.