Investigation of Emotion Regulation Model of Generalized Anxiety Disorder to Explain Pain Perception

Pain is the most generalized mental stress that human faces it. The current research has been done to determine the fitness of emotion regulation model of generalized anxiety disorder to explain pain perception in patient with chronic pain.

 The statistical sample consisted of 210 patients referred to pain clinics in Rasht, Iran who had generalized anxiety disorder symptoms based on clinical interview. They were selected by available sampling and completed perception of pain, emotion dysregulation, and Alexithymia (TAS), meta-mood and affect control questionnaire. Data were analyzed by descriptive measures of frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation and Pearson’s correlation coefficient and structural equation model.

Results showed that emotion regulation has a direct effect on pain perception (p<0.01). Moreover, variables such as expressiveness, meta-mood, affect control and Alexithymia have direct effect on emotion regulation and indirect effect on pain perception.

Findings show that emotion regulation could be effective in the degree of pain perception in patient with chronic pain.