The role of resilience in adjustment and coping with chronic pain

Newton-John, TRO; Mason, C; Hunter, M

The role of resilience in adjustment and coping with chronic pain

Newton-John, TRO

Mason, C Hunter, M

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Rehabilitation Psychology, 2014, 59 (3), pp. 360 - 365
Issue Date:: 2014-01-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Newton-John, TRO https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4219-4985	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Mason, C	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Hunter, M	en_US
dc.date.issued	2014-01-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Rehabilitation Psychology, 2014, 59 (3), pp. 360 - 365	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	0090-5550	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/115619
dc.description.abstract	Purpose: In clinical practice, it is often noted that some individuals struggle with chronic pain, while others find effective means to cope. The purpose of this study was to better understand how resilience fits into coping with persistent pain problems. Of interest was whether measures of resilience add to the prediction of adjustment to chronic pain over and above measures of pain coping as typically used with this patient group. Method: Individuals (N = 101) with chronic pain who attended an initial assessment at a pain clinic completed self-report measures of resilience and coping. Pain related outcome data were also collected. Results: Bivariate correlations indicated that higher resilience was associated with significantly less fear avoidance, less pain-related disability, and lower reported pain intensity. Consistent with theoretical propositions, bivariate analyses also indicated that more resilient individuals with chronic pain reported better social support, and were more likely to be working. Higher resilience was also positively correlated with greater pain self-efficacy. However, when hierarchical regression analyses were performed, resilience did not add significantly to the prediction of depression scores and disability scores, over and above the contribution made by existing measures of pain coping. Conclusion: These findings suggest that, although the construct of resilience appears to have important relationships with various dimensions of chronic pain, as currently operationalized, it does not add significantly to the understanding of chronic-pain adjustment. Rather than abandoning the resilience construct, our findings suggest that resilience as applied to the problem of chronic pain may require a refinement in measurement with this population. © 2014 American Psychological Association.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Rehabilitation Psychology	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1037/a0037023	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Rehabilitation	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Humans	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Questionnaires	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Adaptation, Psychological	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Attitude to Health	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Self Efficacy	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Social Support	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Adult	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Female	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Male	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Resilience, Psychological	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Chronic Pain	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Surveys and Questionnaires	en_US
dc.title	The role of resilience in adjustment and coping with chronic pain	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	3	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	59	en_US
utslib.for	1701 Psychology	en_US
utslib.for	1103 Clinical Sciences	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Graduate School of Health
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - CHT - Health Technologies
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.issue	3	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	59	en_US

Abstract:

Purpose: In clinical practice, it is often noted that some individuals struggle with chronic pain, while others find effective means to cope. The purpose of this study was to better understand how resilience fits into coping with persistent pain problems. Of interest was whether measures of resilience add to the prediction of adjustment to chronic pain over and above measures of pain coping as typically used with this patient group. Method: Individuals (N = 101) with chronic pain who attended an initial assessment at a pain clinic completed self-report measures of resilience and coping. Pain related outcome data were also collected. Results: Bivariate correlations indicated that higher resilience was associated with significantly less fear avoidance, less pain-related disability, and lower reported pain intensity. Consistent with theoretical propositions, bivariate analyses also indicated that more resilient individuals with chronic pain reported better social support, and were more likely to be working. Higher resilience was also positively correlated with greater pain self-efficacy. However, when hierarchical regression analyses were performed, resilience did not add significantly to the prediction of depression scores and disability scores, over and above the contribution made by existing measures of pain coping. Conclusion: These findings suggest that, although the construct of resilience appears to have important relationships with various dimensions of chronic pain, as currently operationalized, it does not add significantly to the understanding of chronic-pain adjustment. Rather than abandoning the resilience construct, our findings suggest that resilience as applied to the problem of chronic pain may require a refinement in measurement with this population. © 2014 American Psychological Association.

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:

http://hdl.handle.net/10453/115619