Article

The purpose of the current study was to examine the associations among
measures of psychosocial factors, pain, and adjustment in persons with
postpoliomyelitis syndrome. DESIGN: A cross-sectional survey design was used.
Sixty-three community-dwelling individuals with postpoliomyelitis syndrome
returned completed questionnaires (71% response rate) that included measures of
pain intensity and interference, psychological functioning, pain catastrophizing,
social support, and pain-related beliefs and coping. RESULTS: After controlling
for demographic variables, the group of psychosocial variables accounted for an
additional 23% of the variance in pain intensity. These variables explained an
additional 35% and 50% of the variance in pain interference and psychological
functioning, respectively, after accounting for demographic variables and pain
intensity. Social support was associated with both psychological functioning and
pain interference, whereas catastrophizing was most closely related to
psychological functioning. Individual pain beliefs and coping strategies were
variably related to the three criterion measures. CONCLUSIONS: The overall
results of the current study are consistent with a biopsychosocial framework for
understanding pain and functioning in individuals with postpoliomyelitis
syndrome. Although additional research is needed to clarify the nature of the
relationships between individual psychosocial variables and functional indices,
the findings suggest the need for a multidisciplinary approach to pain management
in individuals with postpoliomyelitis syndrome.

Langue : ANGLAIS