The mediatory roles of catastrophizing pain in explaining the relationship between chronic pain and disability

There is a considerable individual variation in the levels of pain-related disability among people with chronic pain. Catastrophizing pain has been proposed to explain individual differences in the level of pain-related disability. However، this relation has not been examined amongst Iranian chronic pain patients. This study aimed to investigate whether catastrophizing pain mediate the relationship between pain intensity and disability in patients with chronic pain. In this descriptive-correlational study، 209 chronic pain patients from Tehran pain clinics were selected via a convenient sampling. The participants completed the pain intencity (sub scale from Multidimensional pain inventory)، physical disability and catastrophizing pain questionnaires. The collected data were analyzed using Pearson correlation and multiple hierarchical regressions. There were significant relationships between catastrophizing pain and pain intensity and disability (P<0. 001). Results indicated that catastrophizing pain beliefs partially mediated the effects of pain intensity on disability (β=0/38، р≤ 0/001). catastrophizing pain is one of the important factors influencing the level of perceived disability in chronic pain patients. Therefore، in addition to the pain reduction interventions، cognitive strategies based on minimizing catastrophizing beliefs could reduce pain intensity and disability in chronic pain patients.