Larson A G, Marcer D
Br Med J (Clin Res Ed). 1984 Mar 24;288(6421):883-6. doi: 10.1136/bmj.288.6421.883.
Physicians with an interest in pain have long suggested that the poor complain more and have a higher prevalence of neuroticism than do higher social groups. This assumption was tested by analysing the pain patterns in 500 consecutive patients attending a pain relief clinic. Results implied that scores for presenting pain, anxiety, and depression were similar to all social groups. After treatment scores for residual pain were significantly lower in all social classes, with greatest reduction in classes III, IV, and V. Almost identical results were obtained in a subgroup of patients with cancer but not in a subgroup with sciatica. That patients from the lower social classes have a higher perception of pain and are more neurotic than other group is a myth, probably resulting from poor communication between clinicians and patients of dissimilar socioeconomic class.
长期以来，对疼痛感兴趣的医生一直认为，穷人比社会地位较高的群体抱怨更多，且神经质患病率更高。通过分析一家疼痛缓解诊所连续就诊的500名患者的疼痛模式，对这一假设进行了检验。结果表明，所有社会群体在呈现疼痛、焦虑和抑郁方面的得分相似。治疗后，所有社会阶层的残余疼痛得分均显著降低，其中III、IV和V阶层的降幅最大。在一组癌症患者中也得到了几乎相同的结果，但坐骨神经痛患者亚组并非如此。社会阶层较低的患者比其他群体对疼痛的感知更高且更神经质，这是一个误解，可能是由于社会经济阶层不同的临床医生和患者之间沟通不畅所致。
