• Frank Petrak, Jochen Hardt, Bernd Kappis, Ralf Nickel, and Ulrich Tiber Egle.
• Department for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany. petrak@psychosomatik.klinik.uni-mainz.de
• Eur J Pain. 2003 Jan 1; 7 (5): 463-71.

BackgroundHealth-related quality of life (HRQOL) has been investigated widely in patients with chronic pain, but no study has focused particularly on the situation of patients with persistent somatoform pain disorder.AimsTo survey the impairments of patients with somatoform pain disorder (ICD-10: F45.4) and to predict pain-related impairments and HRQOL on the basis of coping styles.MethodsA consecutively recruited sample of 100 patients (65% female) was examined in a cross-sectional study. Questionnaires were administered to assess pain intensity (visual analogue scale), pain-related disabilities (Pain Disability Index), quality of life (Short-Form Health Survey-36), and ways of coping with pain (Coping Strategies Questionnaire). To predict pain-related impairments and HRQOL, a multiple linear regression analysis was carried out.ResultsHRQOL of patients with somatoform pain is strongly and significantly reduced compared with the general population. Among the coping measures, Increasing Pain Behaviors and Catastrophizing have a negative influence on patients' pain-related impairments and the physical components of HRQOL. The mental component of HRQOL was predicted solely by Catastrophizing. No positive effect of active coping styles on health-related outcome variables could be observed.ConclusionPatients with persistent somatoform pain disorder feel severely impaired. A clear pattern emerges for negative effects of the coping styles Increasing Pain Behaviors and Catastrophizing, while the identification of beneficial coping failed.

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