• Gordon J G Asmundson and Nicholas Carleton R R.
• Anxiety and Illness Behaviours Laboratory and The Traumatic Stress Group, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. gordon.asmundson@uregina.ca
• Cogn Behav Ther. 2005 Jan 1; 34 (4): 248-55.

AbstractThe aim of this study was to determine whether fear of pain and related fear constructs are elevated in people with co-occurring trauma-related stress and social anxiety symptoms relative to people with 1 or neither of these conditions. Eighty students were selected from a larger sample and divided into 4 equal groups comprising those with both high trauma-related stress and social anxiety symptom scores (TRS/SAS), only high trauma-related stress symptom scores (TRS), only high social anxiety symptom scores (SAS), or neither (N). Results indicated that the TRS/SAS group had significantly higher scores on all fear of pain measures, anxiety sensitivity, and illness/injury sensitivity than any other group, even when level of current pain was included as a covariate. These findings suggest that people with co-occurring trauma-related and social anxiety symptoms are most likely to be fearful of pain and to thereby be at increased risk of developing chronic and disabling pain. Implications for future research and treatment are discussed.

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