Association of fear-avoidance and self-efficacy on pain disability in individuals with co-morbid post-traumatic stress and chronic pain. (January 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Devlin, Anna; Casey, Sara; Williams, Scott; Giummarra, Melita J
• Is Part Of: Journal of health psychology. Volume 27:Number 1(2022)
• Page Start: 188
• Page End: 198
• Publication Date: 2022-01
• Subjects: fear avoidance -- pain -- post-traumatic stress -- self-efficacy -- trauma; Clinical health psychology -- Periodicals; 613.019
• DOI: 10.1177/1359105320947819
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1359-1053

Abstract

This study investigated relationships between post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and pain disability. Fifty people with chronic pain (probable PTSD, n = 22) completed measures assessing pain interference, PTSS, fear avoidance, and pain self-efficacy. We hypothesized that people with probable PTSD would have higher fear avoidance and lower pain self-efficacy; and that PTSS would be indirectly associated with pain disability via fear avoidance and self-efficacy. People with probable PTSD had higher fear avoidance, but there were no differences in self-efficacy, pain severity or disability. There was an indirect association between PTSS and pain disability via fear avoidance, but not via self-efficacy.