Pain Intensity and Pain Catastrophizing Among Patients with Chronic Pain: The Mediating Effect of Self-Efficacy

Jiayao Li,1,* Yi Cui,1,* Qiong Jia,2,* Anping Ouyang,3,* Yan Hua1 1Department of Nursing, Air Force Medical University, Xi’an City, Shaanxi Province, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Xijing Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi’an...

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Main Authors: Li J, Cui Y, Jia Q, Ouyang A, Hua Y
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Dove Medical Press 2025-03-01
Series:Journal of Pain Research
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Online Access:https://www.dovepress.com/pain-intensity-and-pain-catastrophizing-among-patients-with-chronic-pa-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-JPR
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author Li J
Cui Y
Jia Q
Ouyang A
Hua Y
author_facet Li J
Cui Y
Jia Q
Ouyang A
Hua Y
author_sort Li J
collection DOAJ
description Jiayao Li,1,* Yi Cui,1,* Qiong Jia,2,* Anping Ouyang,3,* Yan Hua1 1Department of Nursing, Air Force Medical University, Xi’an City, Shaanxi Province, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Xijing Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi’an City, Shaanxi Province, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Military Medical Psychology, Air Force Medical University, Xi’an City, Shaanxi Province, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Yan Hua, Department of Nursing, Air Force Medical University, Xi’an, People’s Republic of China, Email huayan1112@126.comAim: This study aimed to explore the mediating role of sense of self-efficacy in the relationship between pain intensity and pain catastrophizing among chronic pain patients.Methods: A questionnaire survey was administered to patients with chronic pain at the pain intervention departments of three tertiary hospitals in Shaanxi Province between July 2023 and July 2024. The visual analogue scale, chronic pain self-efficacy scale, and pain catastrophizing scale were used to assess the patients’ pain intensity, self-efficacy, and pain catastrophizing degree, respectively. SPSS 27.0 and Mplus 8.3 software were used for statistical analysis.Results: This study included a total of 430 patients with chronic pain. The average score for catastrophizing pain among participants was 22.76 (score range 0– 52), which is considered moderate. Pain intensity and pain catastrophizing were significantly and positively correlated, and the findings found that chronic pain self-efficacy mediated the correlation between pain intensity and pain catastrophizing after controlling for sociodemographic and disease-related variables. In addition, chronic pain self-efficacy was found to be an important mediator, accounting for 32.5% of the total effect.Conclusion: Among patients with chronic pain, chronic pain self-efficacy explains the relationship of pain intensity and pain catastrophizing. These findings imply that interventions that decrease pain intensity and increase patients’ sense of self-efficacy are beneficial for improving pain catastrophizing in this population.Keywords: chronic pain, pain intensity, self-efficacy, pain catastrophizing, cross-sectional study
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spelling doaj-art-595cf15bffd04046a9e4ee73d132fd8e2025-08-20T03:01:51ZengDove Medical PressJournal of Pain Research1178-70902025-03-01Volume 1813611373101259Pain Intensity and Pain Catastrophizing Among Patients with Chronic Pain: The Mediating Effect of Self-EfficacyLi JCui YJia QOuyang AHua YJiayao Li,1,* Yi Cui,1,* Qiong Jia,2,* Anping Ouyang,3,* Yan Hua1 1Department of Nursing, Air Force Medical University, Xi’an City, Shaanxi Province, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Xijing Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi’an City, Shaanxi Province, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Military Medical Psychology, Air Force Medical University, Xi’an City, Shaanxi Province, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Yan Hua, Department of Nursing, Air Force Medical University, Xi’an, People’s Republic of China, Email huayan1112@126.comAim: This study aimed to explore the mediating role of sense of self-efficacy in the relationship between pain intensity and pain catastrophizing among chronic pain patients.Methods: A questionnaire survey was administered to patients with chronic pain at the pain intervention departments of three tertiary hospitals in Shaanxi Province between July 2023 and July 2024. The visual analogue scale, chronic pain self-efficacy scale, and pain catastrophizing scale were used to assess the patients’ pain intensity, self-efficacy, and pain catastrophizing degree, respectively. SPSS 27.0 and Mplus 8.3 software were used for statistical analysis.Results: This study included a total of 430 patients with chronic pain. The average score for catastrophizing pain among participants was 22.76 (score range 0– 52), which is considered moderate. Pain intensity and pain catastrophizing were significantly and positively correlated, and the findings found that chronic pain self-efficacy mediated the correlation between pain intensity and pain catastrophizing after controlling for sociodemographic and disease-related variables. In addition, chronic pain self-efficacy was found to be an important mediator, accounting for 32.5% of the total effect.Conclusion: Among patients with chronic pain, chronic pain self-efficacy explains the relationship of pain intensity and pain catastrophizing. These findings imply that interventions that decrease pain intensity and increase patients’ sense of self-efficacy are beneficial for improving pain catastrophizing in this population.Keywords: chronic pain, pain intensity, self-efficacy, pain catastrophizing, cross-sectional studyhttps://www.dovepress.com/pain-intensity-and-pain-catastrophizing-among-patients-with-chronic-pa-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-JPRchronic painpain intensityself-efficacypain catastrophizingcross-sectional study
spellingShingle Li J
Cui Y
Jia Q
Ouyang A
Hua Y
Pain Intensity and Pain Catastrophizing Among Patients with Chronic Pain: The Mediating Effect of Self-Efficacy
Journal of Pain Research
chronic pain
pain intensity
self-efficacy
pain catastrophizing
cross-sectional study
title Pain Intensity and Pain Catastrophizing Among Patients with Chronic Pain: The Mediating Effect of Self-Efficacy
title_full Pain Intensity and Pain Catastrophizing Among Patients with Chronic Pain: The Mediating Effect of Self-Efficacy
title_fullStr Pain Intensity and Pain Catastrophizing Among Patients with Chronic Pain: The Mediating Effect of Self-Efficacy
title_full_unstemmed Pain Intensity and Pain Catastrophizing Among Patients with Chronic Pain: The Mediating Effect of Self-Efficacy
title_short Pain Intensity and Pain Catastrophizing Among Patients with Chronic Pain: The Mediating Effect of Self-Efficacy
title_sort pain intensity and pain catastrophizing among patients with chronic pain the mediating effect of self efficacy
topic chronic pain
pain intensity
self-efficacy
pain catastrophizing
cross-sectional study
url https://www.dovepress.com/pain-intensity-and-pain-catastrophizing-among-patients-with-chronic-pa-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-JPR
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