Behaviour research and therapy
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The Fear Avoidance Model of Exaggerated Pain Perception was developed in an attempt to explain how, and why, some individuals develop a more substantial psychological overlay to their low back pain problem than do others. The present paper describes a study in which three chronic pain groups, consisting of Post-Herpetic neuralgia patients, Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy patients and chronic low back pain patients were compared with three pain-free comparison groups using the Fear Avoidance Model of Exaggerated Pain Perception. The results show statistically significant differences between the chronic groups and the recovered comparison groups. These results demonstrate the usefulness of the Fear Avoidance Model as an explanation of psychological overlay in chronic pain conditions regardless of pathology.
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Gross (Behaviour Research and Therapy, 30, 7-13, 1992a) showed that the fear of pain (pain sensitivity) could be distinguished from dental fears and health concerns. Furthermore, the Pain Sensitivity Index (PSI) correlated significantly with pain expectations, and pain expectations correlated significantly with dental avoidance behaviour. However, Gross noted that the psychometric properties of the PSI had not been fully determined. ⋯ Subsequently, it was hypothesized that pain sensitivity correlates positively with fears relating to police tasks which are characterized by pain expectancies, such as the fear of being assaulted during operational police work. In support of the hypothesis, pain sensitivity correlated highest with situations involving pain. The pain sensitivity construct may help to explain individual differences in fear reactions to situations where pain could be experienced, such as operational police duties or dental attendances.