Changes in beliefs, catastrophizing, and coping are associated with improvement in multidisciplinary pain treatment

To examine the associations between changes in cognitions and coping and multidisciplinary pain treatment outcomes, the authors had 141 patients with chronic pain complete measures of adjustment, beliefs, catastrophizing, and coping; in addition, their significant others rated patient physical functioning at pretreatment, posttreatment, and 6- and 12-month follow-ups. Decreases in guarding and resting and in the belief that pain signals damage were associated with decreases in patient disability. Increases in perceived control over pain and decreases in catastrophizing and in the belief that one is disabled were associated with decreases in self-reported patient disability, pain intensity, and depression. The results are consistent with the hypothesis, derived from cognitive-behavioral models of chronic pain, that the outcomes of multidisciplinary pain treatment are associated with changes in patient cognitions and coping responses.