Spiritual well-being may be associated with improvements in pain intensity and catastrophizing in patients with chronic pain

1. In this cross-sectional study, there was a high-level negative correlation between spiritual well-being and pain catastrophizing in patients with chronic pain.

2. Furthermore, a low-level negative correlation existed between spiritual well-being and pain intensity.

Evidence Rating Level: 2 (Good)

Several factors influence pain, including central nervous system activity, emotions, and beliefs. Chronic pain is a significantly burdensome condition where pain persists longer than three months. Pain catastrophizing involves negative emotions during pain, which can impair coping mechanisms, resulting in a significant burden of pain, and can be a risk factor for chronic pain. Spirituality has been thought to play a role in coping with pain. However, spirituality’s role in pain levels and catastrophizing remains poorly understood. This study aimed to assess the impact of spiritual well-being on pain catastrophizing, pain intensity, and pain management in those with chronic pain.

This study included 399 patients with ankylosing spondylitis or rheumatoid arthritis living in Turkey. Participants were included if they were aged 18-65 years, had a diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis or rheumatoid arthritis by a specialist physician, experienced pain for at least three months, and consulted a doctor at least once for pain. Participants completed the Descriptive Characteristics Questionnaire to gather information on demographics and pain experience, the Pain Catastrophizing Scale to assess pain catastrophizing, the Three-Factor Spiritual Well-Being Scale to assess spiritual well-being, and the Numerical Rating Scale to evaluate the level of pain they had experienced in the last month. The primary outcome was the association between spiritual well-being and the various scores related to pain and pain catastrophizing.

The results demonstrated a high-level negative correlation between spiritual well-being and scores on the Pain Catastrophizing Scale in patients with chronic pain. There was also a negative weak-level association between spiritual well-being and pain intensity in the same group. Furthermore, pain management methods were associated with Pain Catastrophizing Scale scores, where those who used non-pharmacological methods demonstrated significantly lower pain catastrophizing. However, the study was limited by including only patients with ankylosing spondylitis and rheumatoid arthritis, which may limit the generalizability to patients with other chronic pain conditions. Nonetheless, the present study demonstrated that spiritual well-being may be important in managing chronic pain.

Click to read the study in Pain Management Nursing

Image: PD

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