Middlesex University, Department of Psychology, UK.
City, University of London, Department of Computer Science, UK; Maggioli S.p.A, Research and Development Lab, Greece.
J Pain. 2021 Aug;22(8):926-939. doi: 10.1016/j.jpain.2021.02.011. Epub 2021 Mar 4.
People with chronic pain may be particularly vulnerable to the impact of the pandemic COVID-19, and psychological flexibility may protect them. This study investigates psychological functioning in the context of COVID-19, including fear and avoidance in the context of COVID-19, specifically its association with daily functioning, and the role of psychological flexibility, among people with chronic pain.
Responses from 555 adults with chronic pain were collected through a cross-sectional online survey and analyzed.
Eight out of 10 participants reported significant depression and nearly 9 out of 10 reported significant functional impairment. COVID-19-related fear and avoidance significantly correlated with pain, pain-related disability, depression, and work and social adjustment (r = 18-.32), as well as psychological flexibility processes, including pain acceptance, self-as-context, and committed action, |r|=.13-.30. COVID-19-related fear and avoidance and COVID-19-related interference were significant predictors of some measures of daily functioning beyond demographics and pain, β = .09-.14. However, these associations weakened when psychological flexibility processes were factored into the models, with fear of COVID-19 no longer being a significant predictor of pain-related disability or depression, and COVID-19 avoidance no longer a significant predictor of depression.
The psychological functioning in the context of COVID-19 appears to be negatively associated with daily functioning in people with chronic pain, and is statistically significant in this regard. Psychological flexibility may have a role in these associations for people with chronic pain in the pandemic.
This article demonstrates the psychological implication of COVID-19 and its association with broader emotional and daily functioning in people with chronic pain. It also demonstrates that Psychological flexibility may have a role in these associations for people with chronic pain in the pandemic.
患有慢性疼痛的人可能特别容易受到大流行 COVID-19 的影响，而心理灵活性可能会保护他们。本研究调查了 COVID-19 背景下的心理功能，包括 COVID-19 背景下的恐惧和回避，特别是其与日常功能的关系，以及心理灵活性在慢性疼痛人群中的作用。
通过横断面在线调查收集了 555 名慢性疼痛患者的反应，并进行了分析。
十分之八的参与者报告了明显的抑郁，近十分之九的参与者报告了明显的功能障碍。COVID-19 相关的恐惧和回避与疼痛、与疼痛相关的残疾、抑郁以及工作和社会适应（r=18-32）显著相关，还与心理灵活性过程相关，包括疼痛接受、自我作为背景和承诺行动，|r|=0.13-0.30。COVID-19 相关的恐惧和回避以及 COVID-19 相关的干扰是某些日常功能测量的重要预测因素，超出了人口统计学和疼痛的因素，β=0.09-0.14。然而，当将心理灵活性过程纳入模型时，这些关联减弱，COVID-19 恐惧不再是与疼痛相关的残疾或抑郁的重要预测因素，COVID-19 回避不再是抑郁的重要预测因素。
COVID-19 背景下的心理功能似乎与慢性疼痛患者的日常功能呈负相关，在这方面具有统计学意义。在大流行期间，心理灵活性可能在慢性疼痛患者的这些关联中发挥作用。
本文展示了 COVID-19 的心理影响及其与慢性疼痛患者更广泛的情绪和日常功能的关联。它还表明，在大流行期间，心理灵活性可能在慢性疼痛患者的这些关联中发挥作用。
