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Conflict about expressing emotions and chronic low back pain: associations with pain and anger.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Carson, JW; Keefe, FJ; Lowry, KP; Porter, LS; Goli, V; Fras, AM
Published in: J Pain
May 2007

UNLABELLED: There has been growing interest among researchers and clinicians in the role of ambivalence over emotional expression (AEE) in adjustment to chronic illness. Because of the salience of anger in chronic low back pain, this condition provides a particularly good model in which to examine the role of AEE. This study examined the relation of AEE to pain and anger in a sample of 61 patients with chronic low back pain. Patients completed standardized measures of AEE, pain, and anger. Correlational analyses showed that patients who had higher AEE scores reported higher levels of evaluative and affective pain as well as higher levels of state and trait anger and the tendency to hold in angry thoughts and feelings. Mediational analyses revealed that most of the associations between AEE and pain, and AEE and anger, were independent of one another. These findings suggest that a potentially important relationship exists between AEE and key aspects of living with persistent pain. PERSPECTIVE: This preliminary study suggests that there is a relation between ambivalence over emotional expression and pain and anger in patients with chronic low back pain. Patients who report greater conflict with regard to expressing emotions may be experiencing higher pain and anger.

Duke Scholars

Published In

J Pain

DOI

ISSN

1526-5900

Publication Date

May 2007

Volume

8

Issue

5

Start / End Page

405 / 411

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Psychometrics
  • Personality Assessment
  • Pain Measurement
  • Low Back Pain
  • Humans
  • Expressed Emotion
  • Conflict, Psychological
  • Chronic Disease
  • Anger
 

Citation

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ICMJE
MLA
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Carson, J. W., Keefe, F. J., Lowry, K. P., Porter, L. S., Goli, V., & Fras, A. M. (2007). Conflict about expressing emotions and chronic low back pain: associations with pain and anger. J Pain, 8(5), 405–411. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpain.2006.11.004
Carson, James W., Francis J. Keefe, Kathryn P. Lowry, Laura S. Porter, Veeraindar Goli, and Anne Marie Fras. “Conflict about expressing emotions and chronic low back pain: associations with pain and anger.J Pain 8, no. 5 (May 2007): 405–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpain.2006.11.004.
Carson JW, Keefe FJ, Lowry KP, Porter LS, Goli V, Fras AM. Conflict about expressing emotions and chronic low back pain: associations with pain and anger. J Pain. 2007 May;8(5):405–11.
Carson, James W., et al. “Conflict about expressing emotions and chronic low back pain: associations with pain and anger.J Pain, vol. 8, no. 5, May 2007, pp. 405–11. Pubmed, doi:10.1016/j.jpain.2006.11.004.
Carson JW, Keefe FJ, Lowry KP, Porter LS, Goli V, Fras AM. Conflict about expressing emotions and chronic low back pain: associations with pain and anger. J Pain. 2007 May;8(5):405–411.
Journal cover image

Published In

J Pain

DOI

ISSN

1526-5900

Publication Date

May 2007

Volume

8

Issue

5

Start / End Page

405 / 411

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Psychometrics
  • Personality Assessment
  • Pain Measurement
  • Low Back Pain
  • Humans
  • Expressed Emotion
  • Conflict, Psychological
  • Chronic Disease
  • Anger