The mediating role of conscientiousness in self-efficacy, resilience and pain management with pain perception in individuals with chronic pain

The purpose of the study was to determine the mediating role of conscientiousness in self-efficacy, resilience and pain management with chronic pain perception.

The research method was correlation and statistical population was all 2141 patients suffering from chronic pain in Medical Sciences of Shahid Beheshti University, Shohadaye Tajrish Hospitals, Loghmane Hakim, Modarres Hospital and Medical Sciences of Tehran University, 16 Azar Clinic and Royan Pain and Stress Clinic in autumn and winter of 2018-2019. Sample size was selected by convenience sampling method using Cochran formula with probability of loss of 410 patients. Tools were The Five-Factor model of Personality Inventory by Costa and McCrae (1998), pain self-efficacy questionnaire by Nicholas1989, Pain Management Strategies Scale by Rosenstiel & Keefe (1983), Resilience Scale by Connor & Davidson (2003), The West Haven-Yale Multidimensional Pain Inventory by Kerns, Turk, Rudy (1985). After data collection, 70 confused questionnaires were deleted. Data from 340 questionnaires were analyzed using structural equations with partial least squares method in Smart Pls software.

The results showed that self-efficacy with conscientiousness (β= 0.0269, P= 0.0001) & with pain perception (β= 0.159, P= 0.0001), pain management with conscientiousness (β= 0.130, P= 0.043) & with pain perception (β= 0. 311, P= 0.0001), conscientiousness (β= 0.39, P= 0.0001), resiliency with pain perception (β= 0.316, P= 0.0001) and being conscientiousness with pain perception (β= 0.2278, P= 0.0001) are related and conscientiousness played a mediating role in pain self-efficacy, pain management, resilience with pain perception.

Along with medical treatments, psychotherapists can change the perception of chronic pain by using conscientiousness, self-efficacy, pain management, and resilience factors.