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Social, blood/injury, and agoraphobic fears in patients with physically unexplained chronic pain: are they clinically significant?
Anxiety. 1996; 2(1):28-33.A

Abstract

Recently, there has been increased interest in the extent to which chronic pain patients fear and avoid activities that are thought to be related to the experience of pain. To date, however, few studies have evaluated the nature and extent of nonpain fears in these patients. The purpose of the present study was to address this paucity. The Fear Questionnaire was administered to 130 patients with physically unexplained chronic pain and 93 patients with a chronic condition unrelated to pain. Results indicated that the chronic pain patients were more fearful and avoidant of social interactions/situations and blood/injury than were the patient controls. Agoraphobia was minimal and did not differ significantly between groups. As well, the proportions of chronic pain patients indicating definite avoidance of particular situations related to blood/injury phobia (i.e., injection/minor surgery, hospitals, sight of blood, and thoughts of injury/illness) and social phobia (i.e., being watched/stared at, and speaking/acting to an audience) were significantly greater when compared to the patient controls. These results indicate that nonpain fear and avoidance are common in patients with chronic pain. Implications regarding the significance of these fears and avoidance behaviours on the experience and maintenance of pain symptoms and related disability are discussed.

Authors+Show Affiliations

Asmundson GJ
Wascana Rehabilitation Centre, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada.
Norton GR
No affiliation info available
Jacobson SJ
No affiliation info available

MeSH

AdolescentAdultAgoraphobiaAvoidance LearningBloodChronic DiseaseDefense MechanismsDisabled PersonsFearFemaleHumansInterpersonal RelationsMaleMiddle AgedPainPatient Care TeamPersonality InventoryPhobic DisordersSomatoform DisordersWounds and Injuries

Pub Type(s)

Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Language

eng

PubMed ID

9160596

Citation

Asmundson, G J., et al. "Social, Blood/injury, and Agoraphobic Fears in Patients With Physically Unexplained Chronic Pain: Are They Clinically Significant?" Anxiety, vol. 2, no. 1, 1996, pp. 28-33.
Asmundson GJ, Norton GR, Jacobson SJ. Social, blood/injury, and agoraphobic fears in patients with physically unexplained chronic pain: are they clinically significant? Anxiety. 1996;2(1):28-33.
Asmundson, G. J., Norton, G. R., & Jacobson, S. J. (1996). Social, blood/injury, and agoraphobic fears in patients with physically unexplained chronic pain: are they clinically significant? Anxiety, 2(1), 28-33.
Asmundson GJ, Norton GR, Jacobson SJ. Social, Blood/injury, and Agoraphobic Fears in Patients With Physically Unexplained Chronic Pain: Are They Clinically Significant. Anxiety. 1996;2(1):28-33. PubMed PMID: 9160596.
* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case
TY - JOUR T1 - Social, blood/injury, and agoraphobic fears in patients with physically unexplained chronic pain: are they clinically significant? AU - Asmundson,G J, AU - Norton,G R, AU - Jacobson,S J, PY - 1996/1/1/pubmed PY - 1996/1/1/medline PY - 1996/1/1/entrez SP - 28 EP - 33 JF - Anxiety JO - Anxiety VL - 2 IS - 1 N2 - Recently, there has been increased interest in the extent to which chronic pain patients fear and avoid activities that are thought to be related to the experience of pain. To date, however, few studies have evaluated the nature and extent of nonpain fears in these patients. The purpose of the present study was to address this paucity. The Fear Questionnaire was administered to 130 patients with physically unexplained chronic pain and 93 patients with a chronic condition unrelated to pain. Results indicated that the chronic pain patients were more fearful and avoidant of social interactions/situations and blood/injury than were the patient controls. Agoraphobia was minimal and did not differ significantly between groups. As well, the proportions of chronic pain patients indicating definite avoidance of particular situations related to blood/injury phobia (i.e., injection/minor surgery, hospitals, sight of blood, and thoughts of injury/illness) and social phobia (i.e., being watched/stared at, and speaking/acting to an audience) were significantly greater when compared to the patient controls. These results indicate that nonpain fear and avoidance are common in patients with chronic pain. Implications regarding the significance of these fears and avoidance behaviours on the experience and maintenance of pain symptoms and related disability are discussed. SN - 1070-9797 UR - https://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/citation/9160596/Social_blood/injury_and_agoraphobic_fears_in_patients_with_physically_unexplained_chronic_pain:_are_they_clinically_significant L2 - https://medlineplus.gov/phobias.html DB - PRIME DP - Unbound Medicine ER -