Pain catastrophizing

Psychiatry

Biopsychosocial model

Distress

Psychosocial

Psychology

Interpersonal communication

Chronic pain

Psychological distress

Psychotherapist

Anxiety

Clinical psychology

Coping (psychology)

Social psychology

Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry

The biopsychosocial model of pain dominates the scientific community's understanding of chronic pain. Indeed, the biopsychosocial approach describes pain and disability as a multidimensional, dynamic integration among physiological, psychological, and social factors that reciprocally influence one another. In this article, we review two categories of studies that evaluate the contributions of psychosocial factors to the experience of chronic pain. First, we consider general psychosocial variables including distress, trauma, and interpersonal factors. Additionally, we discuss pain-specific psychosocial variables including catastrophizing, expectations, and pain-related coping. Together, we present a diverse array of psychological, social, and contextual factors and highlight the need to consider their roles in the development, maintenance, and treatment of chronic pain conditions.

Evaluating psychosocial contributions to chronic pain outcomes