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Causal attributions and coping with pain in chronic headache sufferers
F W Kraaimaat1, R E Van Schevikhoven
1Psychiatric Clinic, National University of Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Journal of Behavioral Medicine
|June 1, 1988
Summary
Causal attributions for headaches, such as genetics or stress, showed little connection to how patients cope with pain. This study suggests focusing on other factors for better understanding headache coping strategies.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Health Sciences
- Pain Management
Background:
- Chronic headaches affect a significant portion of the population.
- Understanding factors influencing pain-coping behavior is crucial for effective treatment.
- Previous research has explored various influences on pain management, but the role of causal attributions remains less clear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between patients' attributions of causality for their headaches and their chosen pain-coping behaviors.
- To determine if beliefs about headache causes predict coping strategies in chronic headache sufferers.
Main Methods:
- A study involving 441 chronic headache sufferers.
- Data collection through self-report inventories assessing causal attributions and pain-coping behaviors.
- Statistical analysis to examine the association between attribution types and coping strategies.
Main Results:
- Frequently reported attributions included hereditary factors, emotional distress, lifestyle, weather, nutrition, and physical exertion.
- Limited support was found for an association between physical/psychological attributions and pain-coping behavior.
- The identified relationships explained less than 2% of the variance in pain-coping behavior.
Conclusions:
- Causal attributions for headaches do not significantly contribute to understanding pain-coping behavior in chronic headache sufferers.
- The findings suggest that other psychological or biological factors may be more influential in shaping how individuals cope with chronic headaches.
- Further research is needed to identify key determinants of pain-coping strategies in this population.