The relationship between pain and negative affect in older adults: anxiety as a predictor of pain

Although the relationship between pain and negative affect (e.g., depression, anxiety, and anger) has been repeatedly demonstrated in younger populations, the findings have varied widely among studies. Additionally, there has been minimal research on the relationship between negative affect and acute pain in older adults. This is especially disturbing when one considers that the population is at a higher risk for painful conditions than any other age group. The current study investigated the relative contributions of state anxiety, trait anxiety, depression, state anger, and trait anger to acute pain in an elderly, postsurgical population. The participants (n = 100) were all over the age of 65 and were receiving treatment on an inpatient rehabilitation unit following orthopedic surgery (e.g., knee or hip replacement surgery). Data were analyzed by means of multiple regression, regressing the five predictor variables on the single criterion variable. Results indicated that the only significant predictor of pain in this population was state anxiety, and that this variable alone accounted for 27% of the variance in pain. Treatment implications and suggestions for further research were discussed.