Forecasting Psychological Distress in Chronic Pain: The Influence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Pain Catastrophizing

Chronic Pain (CP) is a multifaceted condition that encompasses more than just physical discomfort, intertwining with a variety of psychological factors. This study aims to explore the influence of post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Pain Catastrophizing (PC) on the prediction of Psychological Distress (PD) among patients grappling with CP. This research is a descriptive and correlational study. The population of the study included patients with CP who had referred to pain and physiotherapy centers in the Tehran province in 2022-2023. A sample of 395 individuals was selected by the convenience sampling method and then data was collected using psychological distress (DASS-21), post-traumatic stress disorder (PCL-5), and Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS). Data were analyzed by SPSS-24 software using Pearson correlation and multiple regression. The results showed that the correlation between PD of CP with re-experiencing (r=0.66, P<0.001), avoidance (r=0.55, P<0.001), negative alterations (r=0.73, P<0.001), hyper-arousal (r=0.70, P<0.001), emotional numbness (r=0.74, P<0.001), rumination (r=0.70, P<0.001), magnification (r=0.64, P<0.001), and helplessness (r=0.74, P<0.001) was positive and significant. In addition, the results of multiple regression analysis revealed that PTSD and PC predict 73% of PD. The current study contributes to the empirical understanding of the relationship between CP and PD and provides valuable insights for clinicians and researchers alike.