Association between psychosocial factors and pain in patients with trigger finger

Abstract

Purpose

To test the hypothesis that psychological factors correlate with pain intensity in trigger finger (TF).

Methods

Patients with TF were selected from two previous cohort studies measuring pain intensity and psychological parameters, 82 from one study and 72 from another. Correlation testing and multiple linear regression was performed. Measures included the pain catastrophizing scale (PCS), pain self-efficacy questionnaire (PSEQ), patient health questionnaire depression (PHQ-D) scale, center for epidemiologic studies depression (CES-D) scale, pain anxiety symptoms score (PASS), and the eysenck personality questionnaire (EPQ-R) scales.

Results

There was moderate correlation between pain intensity and PCS (ρ = 0.52; P < 0.001) and PSEQ (ρ = − 0.36; P < 0.001). There was weak correlation between pain and PHQ-D (ρ = 0.23; P = 0.019). No significant correlation existed with CES-D or EPQ-R. PCS accounted for 26% of the variance in pain for patients awaiting surgery (P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Self-reported pain in TF has moderate correlation with psychological factors, most predominantly pain catastrophizing.

• References

• 1 Bair MJ, Wu J, Damush TM et al Association of depression and anxiety alone and in combination with chronic musculoskeletal pain in primary care patients. Psychosom Med 2008; 70: 890-897
• 2 Potter RG, Jones JM. The evolution of chronic pain among patients with musculoskeletal problems: a pilot study in primary care. Br J Gen Pract 1992; 42: 462-464
• 3 Ring D, Kadzielski J, Fabian L et al Self-reported upper extremity health status correlates with depression. J Bone Joint Surg Am 2006; 88: 1983-1988
• 4 Vaccarino AL, Sills TL, Evans KR et al Multiple pain complaints in patients with major depressive disorder. Psychosom Med 2009; 71: 159-162
• 5 Vranceanu AM, Barsky A, Ring D. Psychosocial aspects of disabling musculoskeletal pain. J Bone Joint Surg Am 2009; 91: 2014-2018
• 6 McCracken LM, Dhingra L. A short version of the Pain Anxiety Symptoms Scale (PASS-20): preliminary development and validity. Pain Res Manag 2002; 7: 45-50
• 7 Sullivan MJL, Bishop SR, Pivik J. The pain catastrophizing scale: development and validation. psychological assessment 1995; 7: 524-532
• 8 Spitzer RL, Kroenke K, Williams JB. Validation and utility of a self-report version of PRIME-MD: the PHQ primary care study. Primary care evaluation of mental disorders. Patient Health Questionnaire. JAMA 1999; 282: 1737-1744
• 9 Radloff LS. The CES-D scale: A self-report depression scale for research in the general population. Appl Psychological Meassure 1977; 1: 385-401
• 10 Kroenke K, Spitzer RL, Williams JB. The PHQ-9: validity of a brief depression severity measure. J Gen Intern Med 2001; 16: 606-613
• 11 Asghari A, Julaeiha S, Godarsi M. Disability and depression in patients with chronic pain: pain or pain-related beliefs?. Arch Iran Med 2008; 11: 263-269
• 12 Nicholas M. Self-efficacy and chronic pain. Paper presentation, Annual, Conference of the British Psychological Society. 1989. St. Andrews, Scotland:
• 13 Scheier MF, Carver CS, Bridges MW. Distinguishing optimism from neuroticism (and trait anxiety, self-mastery, and (self-esteem): a reevaluation of the life orientation test. J Pers Soc Psychol 1994; 67: 1063-1078
• 14 Eysenck H, Eysenck S. Manual of the eysenck personality questionnaire (EPQ-R). San Diego: Educational and Industrial Testing Service 1994;
• 15 Montgomery GH, Bovbjerg DH, Schnur JB et al A randomized clinical trial of a brief hypnosis intervention to control side effects in breast surgery patients. J Natl Cancer Inst 2007; 99: 1304-1312