Prediction of chronic pain components based on insecure attachment style, Mentalization and alexithymia in patients with musculoskeletal pain in 2020

Pain is a very serious complication that has attracted the attention of mental health professionals. The aim of this study was to predict the components of chronic pain based on insecure attachment style, mentalization and alexithymia in patients with musculoskeletal pain in 1399.

Descriptive correlational study and statistical population including all patients with chronic pain, especially musculoskeletal pain, joint pain, osteoarthritis in the period from April to August 2020, who referred to Yalda Clinic, Imam Khomeini Hospital and Asa Clinic in Tehran. The sample consisted of 232 people who were selected by convenience sampling method and answered the questionnaires of chronic pain, adult attachment, mentalization and alexithymia. After collecting the data, its analysis was performed using version 22 of SPSS software.

In all cases except anxiety insecure attachment, a significant relationship was observed at the level of less than 0.05 and the highest rate of variability by predictor variables for pain inability was related to mentalization (0.25) followed by alexithymia (0.09) and then Avoidance was avoidance (0.04). The coefficient of determination for pain intensity was 40%, with the highest variability related to mentalization with 0.26 and then alexithymia with 0.12 and then unsafe avoidance with 0.019.

Insecure attachment style, alexithymia and mentalization play a significant role in predicting the components of chronic pain, which can be considered constructive and effective for the implementation of policies and necessary interventions in the field of chronic pain by specialists.