• Chloé Gingras, Michel-Pierre Coll, Marie-Hélène Tessier, Pascale Tremblay, and Philip L Jackson.
• École de Psychologie, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada.
• Eur J Pain. 2021 Oct 1; 25 (9): 1925-1937.

BackgroundPain assessment and pain care are influenced by the characteristics of both the patient and the caregiver. Some studies suggest that the pain of older persons and of females may be underestimated to a greater extent than the pain of younger and male individuals.AimsThis study investigated the effect of age and sex on prosocial behavior and pain evaluation.Methods40 young (18-30 y/o; 20 women) and 40 older adults (55-82 y/o; 20 women) acted as healthcare professionals rating the pain and offering help to patients of both age groups. Trait empathy and social desirability were measured with questionnaires.ResultsLinear mixed models showed that older and male patients were offered more help and were perceived as being in more intense pain than younger and female patients.ConclusionThe characteristics of the patients seem to have a greater impact on prosocial behavior and pain assessment compared to those of the observers, which bears significant implications for the treatment of pain in clinical contexts.© 2021 European Pain Federation - EFIC®.

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