Positive affect and pain ratings in persons with stroke
Ivonne-Marie Berges1, Gary Seale, Glenn V Ostir
1Sealy Center on Aging and Division of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA. imberges@utmb.edu
Objective:
To examine the association between positive affect at discharge from inpatient medical rehabilitation and pain ratings 3 months postdischarge in persons with stroke aged 50 or older.
Design:
A longitudinal study using information from the Stroke Recovery in Underserved Population (SRUP) data base. A 4-item positive affect scale and an 11-point visual analog pain scale were collected at discharge and at 3 months postdischarge.
Participants:
The study included 917 adults aged 50 and older with first-time stroke admitted to one of eleven inpatient medical rehabilitation facilities across the United States.
Results:
The mean age of the sample was 71 years, 51.0% were women, and 51.6% were married. One third of the sample reported pain and the mean positive affect score was 9.2 (range 0-12). Cumulative logit models showed higher positive affect scores at discharge were significantly associated with lower pain ratings (OR: 0.87, 95% CI 0.81, 0.92) at 3-month follow-up after adjusting for discharge pain ratings, negative affect, and demographic and clinical characteristics.
Conclusion:
High positive affect at discharge from inpatient medical rehabilitation was associated with lower pain ratings 3 months post discharge after controlling for pain and negative affect at discharge and clinical and demographic characteristics. The identification of links between positive affect and pain may contribute to a better understanding of functional recovery processes poststroke and the planning of therapeutic programs directed at the positive psychological strengths in elderly persons with stroke.