The Unique and Joint Associations of Childhood and Recent Life Stressors on Chronic Pain Symptoms

Background/Objectives: Early life stress is a well-established predictor of chronic pain; however, less is known about whether early and recent life stressors interact to influence chronic pain. The purpose of the present study was to examine the unique and joint associations of early and recent life stressors on chronic pain symptoms and examine whether general sensory sensitivity mediates the association between stress exposure and pain-related symptoms. Methods: Participants included 577 adults from the Multidisciplinary Approach to the Study of Chronic Pelvic Pain (MAPP-II) Symptoms Pattern Study. Early life stressors (ELSs) and recent life stressors (RLSs) were examined using the Childhood and Recent Traumatic Events Scale, while general sensory sensitivity and pain symptoms were measured using the Complex Medical Symptoms Inventory and the Brief Pain Inventory. Results: The interaction between ELSs and RLSs significantly predicted pain severity (β = 0.25, p = 0.01) and distribution (β = 0.25, p = 0.02); these results remained significant even after controlling for sociodemographic characteristics. By contrast, ELSs (β = 0.15, p = 0.04) and RLSs (β = 0.16, p = 0.02) uniquely predicted pain interference. Moderated mediation models indicated that RLSs moderated the effect of ELSs on general sensory sensitivity, but there was no evidence of an indirect association with pain-related outcomes. Conclusions: Consistent with the early life sensitization model of stress, the interaction between ELSs and RLSs is associated with worse pain-related symptoms. Additional research is needed to better understand the mechanisms through which stress exposure influences chronic pain.