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Papers of the Week


Papers: 12 Aug 2023 - 18 Aug 2023

RESEARCH TYPE:
Psychology, Sex/Gender/Race, Social Aspects, Translational


Human Studies, Neurobiology

PAIN TYPE:
Psychological/Comorbidities


2023 Aug 15


J Pain


37591480

The association between racialized discrimination in healthcare and pain among Black patients with mental health diagnoses.

Authors

Hammett PJ, Eliacin J, Saenger M, Allen KD, Meis LA, Krein SL, Taylor BC, Branson M, Fu SS, Burgess DJ

Abstract

Chronic pain is a costly and debilitating problem in the US, and its burdens are exacerbated among socially disadvantaged and stigmatized groups. In a cross-sectional study of Black Veterans with chronic pain at the Atlanta VA Health Care System (N=380), we used path analysis to explore the roles of racialized discrimination in healthcare settings, pain self-efficacy, and pain-related fear avoidance beliefs as potential mediators of pain outcomes among Black Veterans with and without an EHR-documented mental health diagnosis. In unadjusted bivariate analyses, Black Veterans with a mental health diagnosis (n=175) reported marginally higher levels of pain-related disability and significantly higher levels of pain interference compared to those without a mental health diagnosis (n=205). Path analyses revealed that pain-related disability, pain intensity, and pain interference were mediated by higher levels of racialized discrimination in healthcare and lower pain self-efficacy among Black Veterans with a mental health diagnosis. Pain-related fear avoidance beliefs did not mediate pain outcomes. These findings highlight the need to improve the quality and effectiveness of healthcare for Black patients with chronic pain through the implementation of anti-racism interventions within healthcare systems. Results further suggest that Black patients with chronic pain who have a mental health diagnosis may benefit from targeted pain management strategies that focus on building self-efficacy for managing pain. PERSPECTIVE: Racialized healthcare discrimination and pain self-efficacy mediated differences in pain-related disability, pain intensity, and pain interference among Black Veterans with and without a mental health diagnosis. Findings highlight the need for anti-discrimination interventions within healthcare systems in order to improve the quality of care for Black patients with chronic pain.