• Pamela J Meredith, Jenny Strong, and Judith A Feeney.
• Division of Occupational Therapy, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Qld 4072, Australia. P.Meredith@uq.edu.au
• Eur J Pain. 2007 Feb 1; 11 (2): 164-70.

AbstractThe complex relationship between chronic pain and depression has long been of clinical and empirical interest. Although attachment theory has been described as a "theory of affect regulation", and has been lauded as a developmental framework for chronic pain, surprisingly little research specifically considers the links between adult attachment variables and pain-related depression. A sample of 99 participants with chronic pain of non-cancer origin was evaluated before and after pain rehabilitation. Results demonstrated that two attachment dimensions (comfort with closeness and relationship anxiety) were related to pre- and post-treatment depression. Of particular interest was the finding that comfort with closeness was the unique predictor of lower levels of post-treatment depression, usurping pain intensity and pre-treatment depression. These results are discussed in terms of clinical implications, and suggest that adult attachment theory may prove a valuable perspective in pain treatment programs.

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