Skip to main content
Journal cover image

Self-Efficacy for Pain Communication Moderates the Relation Between Ambivalence Over Emotional Expression and Pain Catastrophizing Among Patients With Osteoarthritis.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Van Denburg, AN; Shelby, RA; Caldwell, DS; O'Sullivan, ML; Keefe, FJ
Published in: J Pain
September 2018

UNLABELLED: Pain catastrophizing (ie, the tendency to focus on and magnify pain sensations and feel helpless in the face of pain) is one of the most important and consistent psychological predictors of the pain experience. The present study examined, in 60 patients with osteoarthritis pain who were married or partnered: 1) the degree to which ambivalence over emotional expression and negative network orientation were associated with pain catastrophizing, and 2) whether self-efficacy for pain communication moderated these relations. Hierarchical multiple linear regression analyses revealed a significant main effect for the association between ambivalence over emotional expression and pain catastrophizing; as ambivalence over emotional expression increased, the degree of pain catastrophizing increased. In addition, the interaction between ambivalence over emotional expression and self-efficacy for pain communication was significant, such that as self-efficacy for pain communication increased, the association between ambivalence over emotional expression and pain catastrophizing became weaker. Negative network orientation was not significantly associated with pain catastrophizing. Findings suggest that higher levels of self-efficacy for pain communication may help weaken the effects of ambivalence over emotional expression on pain catastrophizing. In light of these results, patients may benefit from interventions that target pain communication processes and emotion regulation. PERSPECTIVE: This article examines interpersonal processes involved in pain catastrophizing. This study has the potential to lead to better understanding of maladaptive pain coping strategies and possibly better prevention and treatment strategies.

Duke Scholars

Altmetric Attention Stats
Dimensions Citation Stats

Published In

J Pain

DOI

EISSN

1528-8447

Publication Date

September 2018

Volume

19

Issue

9

Start / End Page

1006 / 1014

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Self Efficacy
  • Pain
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Interpersonal Relations
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Emotions
  • Catastrophization
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Van Denburg, A. N., Shelby, R. A., Caldwell, D. S., O’Sullivan, M. L., & Keefe, F. J. (2018). Self-Efficacy for Pain Communication Moderates the Relation Between Ambivalence Over Emotional Expression and Pain Catastrophizing Among Patients With Osteoarthritis. J Pain, 19(9), 1006–1014. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpain.2018.04.001
Van Denburg, Alyssa N., Rebecca A. Shelby, David S. Caldwell, Madeline L. O’Sullivan, and Francis J. Keefe. “Self-Efficacy for Pain Communication Moderates the Relation Between Ambivalence Over Emotional Expression and Pain Catastrophizing Among Patients With Osteoarthritis.J Pain 19, no. 9 (September 2018): 1006–14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpain.2018.04.001.
Van Denburg, Alyssa N., et al. “Self-Efficacy for Pain Communication Moderates the Relation Between Ambivalence Over Emotional Expression and Pain Catastrophizing Among Patients With Osteoarthritis.J Pain, vol. 19, no. 9, Sept. 2018, pp. 1006–14. Pubmed, doi:10.1016/j.jpain.2018.04.001.
Journal cover image

Published In

J Pain

DOI

EISSN

1528-8447

Publication Date

September 2018

Volume

19

Issue

9

Start / End Page

1006 / 1014

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Self Efficacy
  • Pain
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Interpersonal Relations
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Emotions
  • Catastrophization