Psychological factors associated with self-perceived pain-related disability among individuals diagnosed with complex regional pain syndrome

Over the last several decades the importance of psychological factors in understanding pain-related disability has grown tremendously. Research has explored many psychological constructs and their relationship to pain related disability with several constructs emerging as clinically significant. The research conducted to date has predominantly focused on individuals with conditions such as low-back, arthritis, or other forms of musculoskeletal pain. To date, there is no research examining the predominant psychological constructs with a population of individuals diagnosed with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). This study had two primary purposes: (a) To examine the relationship between pain catastrophizing, pain helplessness, active coping, passive coping and self-perceived, pain-related disability, (b) to determine the amount of variance in self-perceived, pain-related disability accounted for by pain catastrophizing, pain helplessness, active coping, and passive coping. The research sample included 102 individuals diagnosed with CRPS being treated at a pain clinic. The instruments used to measure the independent variables were: Pain Helplessness Index (PHI), Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), and the Coping Strategies Questionnaire (CSQ). The dependent variable was measured with the Perceived Disability Scale (PDS). Correlation analysis indicated that pain catastrophizing, pain helplessness, and passive coping are all positively correlated with self-perceived, pain-related disability. Multiple regression results indicated that pain catastrophizing, and pain helplessness account for 15.3% of the variance in self-perceived, pain-related disability. Active coping and passive coping did not account for a statistically significant portion of the variance. The findings of this study demonstrate the importance of pain catastrophizing and pain helplessness when treating individuals diagnosed with CRPS and raises doubt about the utility of active coping and the detriment of passive coping. Further investigation is needed to determine the efficacy of interventions focused on modifying pain catastrophizing and pain helplessness as a indirect method of decreasing self-perceived disability.