Psychological aspects of chronic pain: a literature review

Abstract

The influence of psychological variables on the experience of chronic pain continues to be underestimated by many healthcare practitioners. This literature review attempts to highlight the applicability of the conceptualization of chronic pain within the biopsychosocial model and diathesis-stress framework. Within these paradigms the emotional disorders more frequently associated with the experience of chronic pain are explored. Attention is also paid to mechanisms underlying the development and maintenance of chronic pain-related emotional disorders. Finally, the implications of a more holistic conceptualization of chronic pain for clinical practice are investigated.

South African Psychiatry Review Vol. 11(4) 2005: 139-145