Pain catastrophizing (Health factor for workers with an MSD)

Interpretation of the “Pain catastrophizing” factor

Pain catastrophizing negatively influences RTW or sickness absence duration.

Definition of the “Pain catastrophizing” factor

Short definition: Pain catastrophizing is defined as “an exaggerated negative mental set brought to bear during actual or anticipated painful experience” (Sullivan et al., 2001).

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Pain catastrophizing negatively influences RTW in workers with an MSD (Bosman, Twisk, Geraedts et Heymans, 2019; Gauthier, Sullivan, Adams, Stanish et Thibault, 2006; Turner, J. et al., 2008). Pain catastrophizing (or catastrophic thinking) reflects the tendency to focus excessively on painful sensations, magnify the threat value of these sensations and see oneself as helpless to control the pain intensity (Sullivan, Michael J. L., Tripp, Rodgers et Stanish, 2000; Van Damme, Crombez, Bijttebier, Goubert et Van Houdenhove, 2002).

A considerable number of studies on pain catastrophizing show solid relationships between it and pain, physical functioning, psychological functioning (Sullivan, Michael JL et al., 2001) and even the use of health services (Turner, J. A., Ersek et Kemp, 2005). Individuals with high levels of pain catastrophizing express having more intense pain (Sullivan, M.J.L., Bishop et Pivik, 1995), suffer more from depression and severe anxiety (Keefe, Brown, Wallston et Caldwell, 1989), exhibit more pain- and disability-related behaviours (Keefe et al., 1989; Sullivan, M.J. et Stanish, 2003), use more painkillers (Jacobsen et Butler, 1996) and have long hospital stays (Gil, Abrams, Phillips et Williams, 1992).

 Bosman, L. C., Twisk, J. W. R., Geraedts, A. S. et Heymans, M. W. (2019). Development of Prediction Model for the Prognosis of Sick Leave Due to Low Back Pain. J Occup Environ Med, 61(12), 1065-1071. doi: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000001749

Gauthier, N., Sullivan, M. J., Adams, H., Stanish, W. D. et Thibault, P. (2006). Investigating risk factors for chronicity: the importance of distinguishing between return-to-work status and self-report measures of disability. J.Occup.Environ.Med., 48(3), 312-318. Tiré de

Gil, K. M., Abrams, M. R., Phillips, G. et Williams, D. A. (1992). Sickle cell disease pain: II. Predicting health care use and activity level at 9-month follow-up. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 60(2), 267.

Jacobsen, P. B. et Butler, R. W. (1996). Relation of cognitive coping and catastrophizing to acute pain and analgesic use following breast cancer surgery. J Behav Med, 19(1), 17-29.

Keefe, F. J., Brown, G. K., Wallston, K. A. et Caldwell, D. S. (1989). Coping with rheumatoid arthritis pain: catastrophizing as a maladaptive strategy. Pain, 37(1), 51-56.

Sullivan, M. J. et Stanish, W. D. (2003). Psychologically based occupational rehabilitation: the Pain-Disability Prevention Program. Clin J Pain, 19(2), 97-104.

Sullivan, M. J., Thorn, B., Haythornthwaite, J. A., Keefe, F., Martin, M., Bradley, L. A. et Lefebvre, J. C. (2001). Theoretical perspectives on the relation between catastrophizing and pain. The Clinical Journal of Pain, 17(1), 52-64.

Sullivan, M. J. L., Bishop, S. R. et Pivik, J. (1995). The Pain Catastrophizing Scale: Development and validation. Psychological Assessment, 7 524-532.

Sullivan, M. J. L., Tripp, D. A., Rodgers, W. M. et Stanish, W. (2000). Catastrophizing and pain perception in sport participants. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 12(2), 151-167. doi: 10.1080/10413200008404220

Turner, J., Franklin, G., Fulton-Kehoe, D., Sheppard, L., Stover, B., Wu, R., . . . Wickizer, T. (2008). Early predictors of chronic work disability: a prospective, population-based study of workers with back injuries. Spine, 33(25), 2809-2818.

Turner, J. A., Ersek, M. et Kemp, C. (2005). Self-efficacy for managing pain is associated with disability, depression, and pain coping among retirement community residents with chronic pain. J Pain, 6(7), 471-479. doi: 10.1016/j.jpain.2005.02.011

Van Damme, S., Crombez, G., Bijttebier, P., Goubert, L. et Van Houdenhove, B. (2002). A confirmatory factor analysis of the Pain Catastrophizing Scale: invariant factor structure across clinical and non-clinical populations. Pain, 96(3), 319-324.

Tools for measuring the “Pain catastrophizing” factor