Interaction of conscious and unconscious mechanisms in coping with chronic pain

Patients use various consciousness and unconsciousness mechanisms to deal with pain. the relationship between mature, immature and neurotic defense mechanism with adaptive and non-adaptive emotion regulation strategies was investigated.

In this correlative study, 200 patients with chronic pain participants in this study from Akhtar and Labafi Nejad hospitals. Participants completed the Defensive Styles Questionnaire (DSQ) and the Cognitive Emotion Regulation strategies- Short Form Questionnaire (CERQ-Short). A stepwise regression was used to analyze of findings.

Regression analysis showed a significant positive correlation between immature and neurotic defense mechanism with non-adaptive emotion regulation strategies and there is a significant negative correlation with adaptive strategies of cognitive-emotional regulation. In addition, there is no significant relationship between mature defense mechanisms with adaptive and non-adaptive cognitive-emotional regulation strategies.

Using immature and neurotic defense mechanism in patients with chronic pain, predicting less adaptive strategies and more non-adaptive emotional regulation strategies. Therefore, in order to motive patients to apply adaptive strategies for pain management, it is necessary to overcome unconscious processes.