Is self-efficacy and catastrophizing in pain-related disability mediated by control over pain and ability to decrease...

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Pain Management
• Psychology

Background:

• Pain perception is modulated by cognitive and behavioral factors crucial for effective pain management.
• Whiplash-Associated Disorders (WAD) often lead to significant pain-related disability.
• Understanding mediating factors is key to developing targeted interventions for WAD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the mediating roles of pain control and pain reduction ability.
• To examine these roles in relation to functional self-efficacy and catastrophizing in WAD patients.
• To determine if these mediating effects change over time (acute, 3, and 12 months post-accident).

Main Methods:

• A prospective study design was employed.
• 123 patients diagnosed with Whiplash-Associated Disorders were included.
• Regression analyses were used to assess mediating effects.

Main Results:

• Control over pain and ability to decrease pain did not act as mediators between self-efficacy, catastrophizing, and disability.
• Functional self-efficacy demonstrated a stronger direct effect on pain-related disability than catastrophizing.
• The direct impact of self-efficacy and catastrophizing on disability remained consistent over the 12-month follow-up period.

Conclusions:

• Healthcare providers should prioritize interventions aimed at increasing patients' self-efficacy.
• Reducing catastrophic thinking is also a key target for managing WAD.
• Directly focusing on pain control or ability to decrease pain may be less effective than addressing self-efficacy and catastrophizing.