The mediating role of meta-cognitive beliefs between alexithymia and chronic pain intensity

Aims and background: chronic pain isn’t always psychosomatic. Chronic pain, is a disorder that has a lot of psychological components and onethat a lot of people have at some point in their life. The aim of this study was to determine the role meta-cognitive beliefs play in mediating between alexithymia and the intensity of pain that is perceived percipience by the patients with chronic pain. This study evaluated patients aged 20-60 with chronic pain who had been referred to the Mahan clinic and the physical medicine and rehabilitation clinic of Arman in Tehran from the spring of 1396 to autumn of 1396. During this time frame 440 patients who had at least 3 months of musculoskeletal pain, were chosen. Theyanswered the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) the Meta-cognition Questionnaire (MCQ-30), and the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS). Findings: The intensity of pain was coorelated positively with with alexithymia (p< 0.001) and meta-cognitive beliefs (p< 0.001). Alexithymia had a positive coorelationwith meta-cognitive beliefs (p< 0.001). Alexithymia (t=6.68, β= 0.29), and meta-cognitive beliefs (t= 2.42, β= 0.11) could clarify the variance of the pain intensity. Alexithymia could also clarify the meta-cognitive beliefs (t= 9.48, β= 0.40). Based on the findings, the relation between alexithymia and the intensity of pain, was not a simple linear relationship, but meta-cognitive beliefs, could affect this relationship.