Coping with chronic pain
Abstract
Many models of pain give coping an important role in understanding adaptation to chronic pain. Among these, Lazarus and Folkman's cognitive-phenomenological model of stress and coping provides a theoretical framework to conceptualise stress phenomena and coping strategies related to chronic pain. Chronic pain often necessitates new coping skills. An understanding of the concept of coping and how the patients cope is therefore crucial for the success of rehabilitation. The current study examined how coping, as measured by the Ways of Coping Checklist, was related to medical variables, depression measured by the Short Zung depression rating scale, and Rosenberg's self-esteem scale. The study sample consisted of 88 people who were recruited for a multidisciplinary pain management programme. Data were collected as part of a routine pre-treatment evaluation. Results indicated that the most predominant stressors were related to family life and social activities. We also recognised on the one hand, appraising pain as a challenge was predictive of problem-focused coping, while on the other hand, appraising pain as a threat, experiencing depression, and reduced self-esteem were predictive of emotion-focused coping. Clinical implications of these results in nursing are discussed.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
There is significant comorbidity and symptom convergence between PTSD and TBI.
“there is significant comorbidity as well as symptom convergence between PTSD and TBI 82–84.”
From Evaluating psychosocial contributions to chronic pain outcomes (2018) · cites this paper as [84]
Cites
Eysenck, H. J. (1985) · Behaviour Research and Therapy · doi:10.1016/0005-7967(85)90087-7 · Cited by 32,026 · see citing works
Society and the Adolescent Self-Image
Rosenberg, M. (1965) · doi:10.1515/9781400876136 · Cited by 30,126 · see citing works
“Stress: appraisal and coping,”
Folkman, S. (2013) · Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine · doi:10.1007/978-1-4419-1005-9_215 · Cited by 27,833 · see citing works
Stress and emotion: a new synthesis
(1999) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.37-1229 · Cited by 3,655 · see citing works
Visual analogue scales: measurement of subjective phenomena.
Gift, A. G. (1989) · PubMed · Cited by 1,138 · see citing works
The Ways of Coping Checklist: Revision and Psychometric Properties
VITALIANO, P. P., Russo, J. E., Carr, J. E., Maiuro, R. D., & Becker, J. (1985) · Multivariate Behavioral Research · doi:10.1207/s15327906mbr2001_1 · Cited by 1,099 · see citing works
Chronic pain-associated depression: Antecedent or consequence of chronic pain? A review
Fishbain, D. A., Cutler, R., Rosomoff, H. L., & Rosomoff, R. S. (1997) · The Clinical Journal of Pain · doi:10.1097/00002508-199706000-00006 · Cited by 1,074 · see citing works
Coping: The Psychology of What Works
Snyder, C. R. (1999) · Cited by 862 · see citing works
Coping with chronic pain: a critical review of the literature
Jensen, M. P., Turner, J. A., Romano, J. M., & Karoly, P. (1991) · Pain · doi:10.1016/0304-3959(91)90216-k · Cited by 835 · see citing works
Pain Measurement and Assessment
Melzack, R. (1983) · Medical Entomology and Zoology · Cited by 575 · see citing works
Self-esteem: research, theory, and practice
(1995) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.32-5938 · Cited by 442 · see citing works
(1997) · Cited by 422 · see citing works
Pain measurement and assessment
Pearce, S. (1984) · Pain · doi:10.1016/0304-3959(84)90089-7 · Cited by 360 · see citing works
Data Analysis & Statistics for Nursing Research
Polit, D. F. (1996) · Cited by 354 · see citing works
VITALIANO, P. P., DeWolfe, D. J., Maiuro, R. D., Russo, J. E., & al, E. (1990) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037//0022-3514.59.3.582 · Cited by 330 · see citing works
Determinants of coping: The role of stable and situational factors.
Terry, D. J. (1994) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037//0022-3514.66.5.895 · Cited by 329 · see citing works
An empirical assessment of pain beliefs
Williams, D. A., & Thorn, B. E. (1989) · Pain · doi:10.1016/0304-3959(89)90095-x · Cited by 328 · see citing works
Eckenrode, J. J. (1991) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-1-4899-3740-7 · Cited by 327 · see citing works
Review of Psychosocial factors in pain: Critical perspectives.
McGrath, P. J. (1999) · Canadian Psychology/Psychologie canadienne · doi:10.1037/h0092502 · Cited by 315 · see citing works
Psychosocial Factors in Pain: Critical Perspectives
Sletten, C. D. (2000) · Mayo Clinic Proceedings · doi:10.1016/s0025-6196(11)64244-4 · Cited by 313 · see citing works
Translating Coping Theory into an Intervention
Folkman, S., Chesney, M., McKusick, L., Ironson, G., Johnson, D. S., & Coates, T. J. (1991) · The Social Context of Coping · doi:10.1007/978-1-4899-3740-7_11 · Cited by 254 · see citing works
VITALIANO, P. P., DeWolfe, D. J., Maiuro, R. D., et al. (1990) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037/0022-3514.59.3.582 · Cited by 230 · see citing works
Determinants of coping: The role of stable and situational factors.
Terry, D. J. (1994) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037/0022-3514.66.5.895 · Cited by 225 · see citing works
Maes, S., Leventhal, H., & de Ridder, D. T. D. (1996) · Cited by 220 · see citing works
Self-esteem: Paradoxes and innovations in clinical theory and practice.
Bednar, R. L., Wells, M. G., & Peterson, S. R. (1989) · American Psychological Association eBooks · doi:10.1037/10068-000 · Cited by 218 · see citing works
Developing interventions for chronically ill patients
de Ridder, D. T. D., & Schreurs, K. M. G. (2001) · Clinical Psychology Review · doi:10.1016/s0272-7358(99)00046-x · Cited by 188 · see citing works
Adaptation in patients with chronic rheumatoid arthritis: Application of a general model.
Smith, C. A., & Wallston, K. A. (1992) · Health Psychology · doi:10.1037//0278-6133.11.3.151 · Cited by 175 · see citing works
The relationship of appraisal and coping to chronic illness adjustment
Bombardier, C. H., D'Amico, C., & Jordan, J. S. (1990) · Behaviour Research and Therapy · doi:10.1016/0005-7967(90)90081-s · Cited by 168 · see citing works
The relationship of pain and depression to cognitive function in rheumatoid arthritis patients
Brown, S. C., Glass, J. M., & Park, D. C. (2002) · Pain · doi:10.1016/s0304-3959(01)00457-2 · Cited by 150 · see citing works
Adaptation in patients with chronic rheumatoid arthritis: Application of a general model.
Smith, C. A., & Wallston, K. A. (1992) · Health Psychology · doi:10.1037/0278-6133.11.3.151 · Cited by 140 · see citing works
Nielson, W. R., & Jensen, M. (2004) · Journal of Pain · doi:10.1016/j.jpain.2004.02.345 · Cited by 126 · see citing works
Chronic pain: A biobehavioral perspective.
Turk, D. C., & Flor, H. (1999) · Cited by 126 · see citing works
Loeser, J. D. (1980) · Palgrave Macmillan UK eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-1-349-05952-2_34 · Cited by 110 · see citing works
Coping activities in chronic low back pain: relationship with depression
Weickgenant, A. L., Slater, M. A., Patterson, T. L., Atkinson, H. J., Grant, I., & Garfin, S. R. (1993) · Pain · doi:10.1016/0304-3959(93)90061-s · Cited by 75 · see citing works
Personality Characteristics of Patients With Pain
Gatchel, R. J., & Weisberg, J. N. (2000) · Medical Entomology and Zoology · Cited by 71 · see citing works
Relationships of stress, appraisal and coping, to chronic low back pain
Turner, J. A., Clancy, S., & VITALIANO, P. P. (1987) · Behaviour Research and Therapy · doi:10.1016/0005-7967(87)90006-4 · Cited by 67 · see citing works
VALIDATION OF A BRIEF SCREENING TEST FOR DEPRESSION IN THE ELDERLY
TUCKER, M. A., OGLE, S. J., DAVISON, J. G., & Eilenberg, M. D. (1987) · Age and Ageing · doi:10.1093/ageing/16.3.139 · Cited by 64 · see citing works
Personality characteristics of patients with pain.
(2000) · American Psychological Association eBooks · doi:10.1037/10376-000 · Cited by 55 · see citing works
Davis, B. (1999) · Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing · doi:10.1046/j.1365-2850.1999.00227-8.x · Cited by 52 · see citing works
Endler, N. S., Corace, K. M., Summerfeldt, L. J., Johnson, J. M., & Rothbart, P. (2002) · Personality and Individual Differences · doi:10.1016/s0191-8869(02)00048-x · Cited by 45 · see citing works
Carlock, C. J. (2013) · Taylor & Francis eBooks · doi:10.4324/9780203768013 · Cited by 44 · see citing works
VITALIANO, P. P., Russo, J. E., & Maiuro, R. D. (1987) · Journal of Research in Personality · doi:10.1016/0092-6566(87)90009-2 · Cited by 36 · see citing works
Davis, B., & Davis, B. D. (2002) · Routledge eBooks · doi:10.4324/9780203022634 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
Relationship of pain-coping strategies to adjustment and functioning.
DeGood, D. E. (2000) · American Psychological Association eBooks · doi:10.1037/10376-006 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
Perceived Body Space and Self-Esteem in Adult Males with and without Chronic Low Back Pain
Lisanti, P. (1989) · Orthopaedic Nursing · doi:10.1097/00006416-198905000-00014 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Evaluating psychosocial contributions to chronic pain outcomes
Meints, S. M., & Edwards, R. R. (2018) · Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.pnpbp.2018.01.017 · Cited by 719 · see citing works
Ferreira-Valente, A., Sharma, S., Torres, S., Smothers, Z., Pais-Ribeiro, J., Abbott, J. H., & Jensen, M. P. (2022) · Journal of Religion and Health · doi:10.1007/s10943-019-00914-7 · Cited by 74 · see citing works
Nielsen, S. S., Skou, S. T., Larsen, A. E., Søndergaard, J., & Christensen, J. R. (2022) · Scandinavian Journal of Pain · doi:10.1515/sjpain-2021-0062 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
- Authors
- Dysvik, E., Natvig, G. K., Eikeland, O.-J., & Lindstrøm, T. C.
- Affiliations
- University of Stavanger (NO)
- University of Bergen (NO)
- Corresponding author
- Dysvik, Elin
- ORCID
- Dysvik, Elin
- Venue
- International Journal of Nursing Studies
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2005-03
- Volume
- 42
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 297-305
- ISSN
- 0020-7489 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2095588185
- Cited by
- 98
- References
- 45
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 7 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 6
- FWCI
- 2.30
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- International Journal of Nursing Studies (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Musculoskeletal pain and rehabilitation
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine › Pain Management and Opioid Use
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Pediatric Pain Management Techniques
- Keywords
- chronic pain, coping strategies, stress appraisal, problem-focused coping, emotion-focused coping, depression, self-esteem, multidisciplinary pain management, rehabilitation, family stressors, nursing implications
- MeSH terms
- Adaptation, Psychological, Adult, Aged, Attitude to Health, Chronic Disease, Depression, Emotions, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Models, Psychological, Norway, Pain, Predictive Value of Tests, Problem Solving, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Surveys and Questionnaires, Regression Analysis, Self Concept, Social Support, Stress, Psychological, Nursing Methodology Research, Multivariate Analysis, Nurse's Role
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
