Frequency of use and rated effectiveness of cognitive and behavioural coping responses to burn pain

Cognitive and behavioural pain control coping techniques were studied in a sample of burn clinic outpatients. Forty-four subjects of generally low socioeconomic status were recruited for the study. TBSA average 8 per cent, the mean subject age was 38.1 years, and subjects reported experiencing pain during half their waking hours the previous week. The Burn Pain Questionnaire (BPQ) was used to assess the reported frequency of use and effectiveness of eight behavioural and seven cognitive coping strategies for average and severe levels of pain. The BPQ was also used to assess pain duration as a correlate of the efficacy of coping techniques. The results indicated that three behavioural techniques (listening to TV/radio/stereo, sleeping, talking about pain) and one cognitive technique (thinking about something else) were rated as effective by the majority of subjects for average levels of pain. None of the techniques were rated by subjects as useful with sever pain. Use of two behavioural approaches (use of TV/radio/stereo, talking) and two cognitive approaches (concentrating attention, imagining self elsewhere) were significantly correlated with increased pain duration. Results are discussed in terms of tailoring psychological pain control techniques to the individual needs of the patient.