Coping, catastrophizing and chronic pain in breast cancer

This cross-sectional study investigated the relationships between individual differences in coping and catastrophizing, and markers of adaptation to chronic pain associated with breast cancer. Sixty-eight breast cancer patients with chronic pain due to either cancer or cancer-treatment were administered self-report instruments that assess active and passive coping, catastrophizing, pain, disability, and mood disturbance. Regression analyses were performed to investigate the unique contribution of differences in coping and catastrophizing to the various markers of adaptation. Both active and passive coping explained unique variance in self-reported disability; active coping was associated with less disability while passive coping was associated with greater disability. Catastrophizing explained unique variance in anxiety and depression scores; higher levels of catastrophizing were associated with greater emotional distress. The results suggest that coping and catastrophizing may contribute to different outcomes in chronic pain in breast cancer patients and provides preliminary evidence that they may be important targets of psychological treatments.