Childhood trauma and self-harm behavior among chronic pain patients

Associations between childhood trauma and self-harm behavior in adulthood have been explored in a variety of populations, but few studies have assessed multiple forms of childhood trauma as well as 22 self-harm behaviors, and none (that we are aware of) in a chronic pain population. In this study, we examined 5 types of childhood trauma (i.e., sexual, physical, and emotional abuses; physical neglect; witnessing of violence) and 22 self-harm behaviors in a sample of 117 chronic pain patients who were being evaluated by a pain management specialist in a private setting. All five forms of childhood trauma demonstrated statistically significant relationships with self-harm behavior in adulthood. We discuss the implications of these findings.