Personality Type and Chronic Pain: The Relationship between Personality Profile and Chronic Low Back Pain Using
William J Hanney1, Abigail T Wilson1, Travis Smith1
1School of Kinesiology and Physical Therapy, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32816, USA.
Neurosci
|November 1, 2024
Summary
Neurotic personality traits are linked to worse outcomes in chronic low back pain (cLBP), including increased pain, disability, and fear of movement. Understanding personality may improve cLBP treatment and prognosis.
Area of Science:
- Psychology and Pain Perception
- Clinical Pain Research
Background:
- Personality influences responses to stimuli, but its impact on pain perception, particularly in chronic low back pain (cLBP), is not fully understood.
- cLBP is a prevalent and debilitating condition, necessitating a comprehensive understanding of factors influencing pain perception for effective clinical management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between personality type and the pain experience in patients suffering from cLBP.
Main Methods:
- 124 cLBP patients completed the Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI) for neuroticism and extraversion, alongside the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK), Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), and Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS).
- Spearman Rank Correlation Coefficient assessed the association between pain and personality traits.
- Hierarchical cluster analysis (Ward's method) identified subgroups based on personality and pain variables.
Main Results:
- Higher neuroticism scores (EPI-N) correlated significantly with increased fear of movement (p=0.001), pain catastrophizing (p<0.001), disability (p<0.001), and overall pain levels (p=0.046).
- Individuals with neurotic personality types reported greater fear of movement, catastrophizing, disability, and pain compared to those with more stable personality types.
- Cluster analysis revealed three distinct subgroups characterized by varying levels of pain-related factors and personality profiles.
Conclusions:
- Personality type significantly influences key attributes associated with chronic low back pain.
- Personality assessment may serve as a valuable tool for predicting prognosis and tailoring interventions for cLBP patients.
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