NCJ Number
215883
Journal
Journal of Family Violence Volume: 21 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2006 Pages: 63-73
Date Published
January 2006
Length
11 pages
Annotation
The role of emotion in the link between traumatic experiences and physical pain was examined with path modeling by using a sample of hospital outpatients (n=138).
Abstract
The study confirmed the widespread occurrence of traumatization of both children and adults and supported the view that abuse prevention could contribute to a reduction in psychiatric and physical symptomatology. It also shows that trauma survivors have a variety of psychiatric and physical symptoms that have previously been found to benefit from treatment. Another finding was that the poor emotional coping skills among pain patients did not significantly contribute to pain severity. Instead, other physical, cognitive, interpersonal, or environmental factors may account for the pain and may be more important foci for pain treatment. Most of the 138 participants reported being traumatized (77 percent) and experiencing chronic pain (69 percent). Participants were recruited from two clinics at a major midwestern university hospital. Demographic information was obtained, and the Life Event Questionnaire Short-Form measured traumatic events experienced during childhood and/or adulthood. The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-30 measured physical and emotional abuse, emotional neglect, sexual abuse, and physical neglect. Trauma symptoms and pain were measured with the Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire, Trauma Symptom Inventory-A, the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20, and the Somatic Symptom Inventory. 1 figure, 3 tables, and 48 references