Background

Pain anxiety has been associated with more severe posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. However, the unique role of individual domains of pain anxiety has yet to be explored in the prediction of PTSD severity. This study examined whether specific pain anxiety domains (i.e., cognitive anxiety, escape/avoidance, fear of pain, and physiological anxiety) predict both concurrent and downstream PTSD symptoms above and beyond other PTSD risk factors.

Method

Participants were 63 survivors of traumatic events with moderate to high baseline pain treated in the emergency department and assessed for PTSD symptoms and pain anxiety at 3- and 12-months.

Results

Three-month pain anxiety domains of fear of pain and physiological anxiety (inversely related) significantly predicted concurrent 3-month PTSD symptoms above and beyond other established PTSD risk factors (i.e., sex, age, pain, and trauma type). However, only 3-month fear of pain significantly predicted 12-month PTSD symptoms.

Conclusions

Findings highlight the relevance of specific pain anxiety domains in concurrent and future PTSD symptoms and suggest the importance of evaluating pain anxiety among patients with PTSD. Interventions focused on increasing willingness to experience and tolerate fear of pain may help mitigate this risk, thereby improving outcomes for individuals with acute PTSD symptoms.

中文翻译：

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对疼痛的恐惧作为并发和下游 PTSD 症状的预测因子

背景

疼痛焦虑与更严重的创伤后应激障碍 (PTSD) 症状有关。然而，疼痛焦虑的各个领域在预测 PTSD 严重程度方面的独特作用尚待探索。这项研究检查了特定的疼痛焦虑领域（即认知焦虑、逃避/回避、对疼痛的恐惧和生理焦虑）是否能预测并发和下游的 PTSD 症状，超过其他 PTSD 风险因素。

方法

参与者是在急诊科接受中度至高度基线疼痛治疗的 63 名创伤事件幸存者，并在 3 个月和 12 个月时评估了 PTSD 症状和疼痛焦虑。

结果

三个月的疼痛焦虑域对疼痛的恐惧和生理焦虑（负相关）显着预测了同时发生的 3 个月 PTSD 症状，超过了其他已确定的 PTSD 风险因素（即性别、年龄、疼痛和创伤类型）。然而，只有 3 个月的疼痛恐惧显着预测了 12 个月的 PTSD 症状。

结论

研究结果强调了特定疼痛焦虑领域与并发和未来 PTSD 症状的相关性，并表明评估 PTSD 患者疼痛焦虑的重要性。侧重于增加体验和忍受对疼痛恐惧的意愿的干预措施可能有助于减轻这种风险，从而改善患有急性 PTSD 症状的个体的预后。