Psychology

To compare physical, sensory, and psychosocial factors between individuals with greater trochanteric pain syndrome and controls and to explore factors associated with pain and disability.

Despite the association between chronic pain and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), little is known about the longitudinal course of pain and PTSD during cancer treatment. We examined the prevalence of PTSD and chronic pain at three time periods in veterans with a diagnosis of cancer, and the relationship between the experience of pain and PTSD. Participants ( = 123) with oral-digestive cancers were recruited from the Veterans Healthcare System (age  = 65.31 and SD = 9.13; 98.4% male) and completed face to face interviews at 6, 12, and 18 months post-diagnosis. Measures included the Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist-Stressor-Specific version (PCL-S), Primary care PTSD (PC-PTSD), and the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Pain Impact Scale. About one-third (26.8%) of the sample had chronic pain, defined as elevated pain at two time periods. About one-fifth (20.3%) endorsed symptoms of combat-related PTSD at 6 months, and 22.8% endorsed symptoms of cancer-related PTSD, exceeding a clinical cutoff for older adults (12 months = 21.1%, 18 months = 23.1%). Changes over time were observed for cancer-related PTSD symptom clusters of hyperarousal ( = 3.85 and  = 0.023) and emotional numbing ( = 4.06 and  = 0.018) with a statistically significant quadratic function increasing at 18 months. In logistic regression, individuals with both combat and cancer-related PTSD symptoms at six months had 8.49 times higher odds of experiencing chronic pain (χ = 25.91 and  < 0.001;  = 0.28). Persisting pain may be a concern in veterans with cancer. Individuals who have experienced traumatic events with persisting PTSD symptoms may be at elevated risk for chronic pain. Veterans with PTSD symptoms from both cancer and combat are at the highest risk to experience chronic pain.

The objective of this study was to characterize the prevalence and risk of pain, pain interference, and recurrent pain in adult survivors of childhood cancer in comparison with siblings.

Placebo analgesia studies generally reported that the actual use of a placebo analgesic reduces pain. Yeung VW, Geers A, Kam SM. Merely possessing a placebo analgesic reduced pain intensity: Preliminary findings from a randomized design. Curr Psychol. 2019;38(1):194-203 found that the mere possession (without use) of a placebo analgesic also reduces pain.

Compared to White and high socioeconomic status (SES) patients, Black and low SES patients receive less adequate pain care. Providers may contribute to these disparities by making biased decisions that are driven, in part, by their attitudes about race and SES.

Chronic pain affects millions of Americans. Our Whole Lives, an electronic health (eHealth) toolkit for Chronic Pain (Our Whole Lives for Chronic Pain [OWLCP]), is a mind-body chronic pain management platform that teaches self-management strategies to reduce pain impact and pain medication use.

To understand preferences, barriers, and facilitators to participating in community-based exercise opportunities among adults living with chronic pain. An interpretive description methodology based on semi-structured interviews was conducted. Adults (age>18 years) living with chronic pain (pain >3 months in duration) were recruited from a multidisciplinary chronic pain clinic in Toronto, Canada. Thematic analysis was used to conceptualize interview data. Fifteen adults living with chronic pain (11/15 women) were interviewed. Four themes regarding preferences, barriers, and facilitators to participation in community-based exercise are described: (1) accessibility (e.g., cost, location, scheduling, and access to program information from healthcare providers); (2) intrinsic factors (e.g., pain, mental health, and motivation); (3) social factors (e.g., isolation, participation with people with similar capabilities, and safe environment); and (4) program factors (e.g., tailored to adults living with chronic pain, gentle exercise, group-based, and delivered by an instructor knowledgeable about chronic pain). Participation in community-based exercise opportunities among adults living with chronic pain may be influenced by accessibility, intrinsic factors, social factors, and program factors. Results provide a foundation of understanding to develop person-centered community-based exercise opportunities that are tailored to meet the preferences of this population.Implications for RehabilitationAlthough community-based exercise is commonly recommended as part of ongoing self-management of chronic pain, there is limited research exploring perspectives towards community-based exercise opportunities from the perspective of adults living with chronic pain.Adults living with chronic pain reported specific preferences, barriers, and facilitators to participating in community-based exercise opportunities, including accessibility, instrinsic factors, social factors, and program factors.Most adults living with chronic pain reported a preference for community-based exercise opportunities that: (1) are delivered by an instructor who is knowledgeable about chronic pain; (2) involve gentle exercise; (3) are group-based; and (4) include other individuals with similar physical capabilities.Healthcare providers, community-based organizations, and researchers should develop, implement, and evaluate person-centered community-based exercise opportunities for adults living with chronic pain that consider their unique preferences, barriers, and facilitators to participation.