Chronic Pain and its relationship with psychological well-being: The protective role of perceived emotional intelligence
Article Sidebar
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
This journal provides immediate free access to its content. The publication is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International licence (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). The rights of the works published in this journal are property of the author and they are free to distribute and disseminate the same sources as long as he correctly cites the font of publication, these acts are not for commercial purposes and no derivative works are generated.
Main Article Content
Abstract
Chronic pain encompasses any condition or pathology that includes suffering from pain for a period of no less than three months that affects personal, work and family life. Psychological well-being is one of the most affected aspects in people suffering from chronic pain and the development of good emotional intelligence may be a protective factor for this well-being. The aim of this study was to test whether there are differences in Psychological Well-being and Perceived Emotional Intelligence between university students with chronic pain and those without pathologies, and to analyse whether Perceived Emotional Intelligence can explain the variability in the psychological well-being of students with chronic pain. A total of 101 people participated in the study (mean age = 23 years; SD = 4.6), 53 with chronic pain and 48 without previous pathologies. A descriptive-correlational study was conducted in which participants had to complete a survey on a voluntary basis. The results showed differences in Self-acceptance and Purpose in life of psychological wellbeing and in Emotional Repair of Perceived Emotional Intelligence. In addition, a positive linear relationship was found between Emotional Repair and SelfAcceptance, Purpose in Life and Environmental Mastery scores in participants with chronic pain. The present study highlights the importance of emotional intelligence training in people with chronic pain for the development of psychological wellbeing.
References
Aaron, R. V., Finan, P. H., Wegener, S. T., Keefe, F. J., & Lumley, M. A. (2020). Emotion regulation as a transdiagnostic factor underlying co-occurring chronic pain and problematic opioid use. American Psychologist, 75(6), 796. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000678.
Amaro-Díaz, L., Montoro, C. I., Fischer-Jbali, L. R., & Galvez-Sánchez, C. M. (2022). Chronic pain and emotional stroop: a systematic review. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 11(12), 3259. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm11123259.
Anagnostopoulos, F., Paraponiari, A., & Kafetsios, K. (2022). The Role of Pain Catastrophizing, Emotional Intelligence, and Pain Intensity in the Quality of Life of Cancer Patients with Chronic Pain. Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings, 30, 501-519. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10880-022-09921-5.
Boselie, J., & Peters, M. (2023). Shifting the perspective: how positive thinking can help diminish the negative effects of pain. Scandinavian Journal of Pain, 23(3), 452-463. https://doi.org/10.1515/sjpain-2022-0129.
Callea, A., De Rosa, D., Ferri, G., Lipari, F., & Costanzi, M. (2019). Are more intelligent people happier? Emotional intelligence as mediator between need for relatedness, happiness and flourishing. Sustainability, 11(4), 1022. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11041022.
Caruso, D. R., Salovey, P., Brackett, M., & Mayer, J. D. (2015). The ability model of emotional intelligence. Positive psychology in practice: Promoting human flourishing in work, health, education, and everyday life, 543-558. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118996874.ch32.
Cejudo, J., Rodrigo-Ruiz, D., López-Delgado, M. L., & Losada, L. (2018). Emotional intelligence and its relationship with levels of social anxiety and stress in adolescents. International journal of environmental research and public health, 15(6), 1073. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15061073.
Chen, W. H., Lien, C. C., & Chen, C. C. (2022). Neuronal basis for pain-like and anxiety-like behaviors in the central nucleus of the amygdala. Pain, 163(3), e463-e475. https://doi.org/10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002389.
Cohen, S. P., Vase, L., & Hooten, W. M. (2021). Chronic pain: an update on burden, best practices, and new advances. The Lancet, 397(10289), 2082-2097. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(21)00393-7.
Diaz, D., Rodriguez-Carvajal, R., Blanco, A., Moreno-Jimenez, B., Gallardo, I., Valle, C., & van Dierendonck, D. (2006). Spanish adaptation of the psychological well-being scales (PWBS). Psicothema, 18(3), 572-577. https://bitly.ws/3gmF3.
Doherty, E. M., Walsh, R., Andrews, L., & McPherson, S. (2017). Measuring emotional intelligence enhances the psychological evaluation of chronic pain. Journal of clinical psychology in medical settings, 24, 365-375. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10880-017-9515-x.
Frumkin, M., Haroutounian, S., & Rodebaugh, T. (2020). Examining emotional pain among individuals with chronic physical pain: Nomothetic and idiographic approaches. Journal of psychosomatic research, 136, 110172. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2020.110172.
Furrer, A., Michel, G., Terrill, A., Jensen, M., & Müller, R. (2019). Modeling subjective well-being in individuals with chronic pain and a physical disability: the role of pain control and pain catastrophizing. Disability and Rehabilitation, 41, 498 - 507. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2017.1390614.
Gormsen, L., Rosenberg, R., Bach, F., & Jensen, T. (2010). Depression, anxiety, health‐related quality of life and pain in patients with chronic fibromyalgia and neuropathic pain. European Journal of Pain, 14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejpain.2009.03.010.
Guil, R., Morales-Sánchez, L., Ruiz-González, P., Gómez-Molinero, R., & Gil-Olarte, P. (2022). The key role of emotional repair and emotional clarity on depression among breast cancer survivors. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(8), 4652. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19084652.
Husky, M. M., Ferdous Farin, F., Compagnone, P., Fermanian, C., & Kovess-Masfety, V. (2018). Chronic back pain and its association with quality of life in a large French population survey. Health and quality of life outcomes, 16(1), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12955-018-1018-4.
Koechlin, H., Coakley, R., Schechter, N., Werner, C., & Kossowsky, J. (2018). The role of emotion regulation in chronic pain: A systematic literature review. Journal of psychosomatic research, 107, 38-45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2018.02.002.
Liesto, S., Sipilä, R., Aho, T., Harno, H., Hietanen, M., & Kalso, E. (2020). Psychological resilience associates with pain experience in women treated for breast cancer. Scandinavian Journal of Pain, 20, 545-553. https://doi.org/10.1515/sjpain-2019-0137.
Lilliefors, H. W. (1967). On the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test for normality with mean and variance unknown. Journal of the American statistical Association, 62(318), 399-402. https://doi.org/10.2307/2283970.
Lumley, M. A., Krohner, S., Marshall, L. M., Kitts, T. C., Schubiner, H., & Yarns, B. C. (2021). Emotional awareness and other emotional processes: Implications for the assessment and treatment of chronic pain. Pain Management, 11(3), 325-332. https://doi.org/10.2217/pmt-2020-0081.
Lutz, J., Gross, R. T., & Vargovich, A. M. (2018). Difficulties in emotion regulation and chronic pain-related disability and opioid misuse. Addictive behaviors, 87, 200-205. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2018.07.018.
Malinauskas, R., & Malinauskiene, V. (2020). The relationship between emotional intelligence and psychological well-being among male university students: The mediating role of perceived social support and perceived stress. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(5), 1605.
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17051605.
McKnight, P. E., & Najab, J. (2010). Mann‐Whitney U Test. The Corsini encyclopedia of psychology, 1-1.
McNaughton, D., Hush, J., Beath, A., Dear, B., & Jones, M. (2018). No moderating impact of a medically unexplained etiology on the relationship between psychological profile and chronic pain. Journal of psychosomatic research, 115, 87-93. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2018.10.017.
Parmelee, P. A., Scicolone, M. A., Cox, B. S., DeCaro, J. A., Keefe, F. J., & Smith, D. M. (2018). Global versus momentary osteoarthritis pain and emotional distress: emotional intelligence as moderator. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 52(8), 713-723. https://doi.org/10.1093/abm/kax044.
Raffaeli, W., Tenti, M., Corraro, A., Malafoglia, V., Ilari, S., Balzani, E., & Bonci, A. (2021). Chronic pain: what does it mean? A review on the use of the term chronic pain in clinical practice. Journal of pain research, 827-835. https://doi.org/10.2147/JPR.S303186.
Ruiz-Aranda, D., Salguero, J. M., & Fernández-Berrocal, P. (2011). Emotional intelligence and acute pain: the mediating effect of negative affect. The Journal of pain, 12(11), 1190-1196. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpain.2011.06.008.
Russell, B. S., & Park, C. L. (2018). The role of emotion regulation in chronic pain self-management. Topics in Pain Management, 33(6), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.TPM.0000528005.61095.1d.
Sánchez-Álvarez, N., Extremera, N., & Fernandez-Berrocal, P. (2015). Maintaining life satisfaction in adolescence: Affective mediators of the influence of perceived emotional intelligence on overall life satisfaction judgments in a two-year longitudinal study. Frontiers in Psychology, 6, 1892. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01892.
Shaygan, M. & Karami, Z. (2020). Chronic Pain in Adolescents: The Predictive Role of Emotional Intelligence, Self-Esteem and Parenting Style. International Journal of Community Based Nursing and Midwifery, 8, 253-263. https://doi.org/10.30476/IJCBNM.2020.83153.1129.
Trompetter, H. R., Bohlmeijer, E. T., Lamers, S. M., & Schreurs, K. M. (2016). Positive psychological wellbeing is required for online self-help acceptance and commitment therapy for chronic pain to be effective. Frontiers in psychology, 7, 353. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00353.
Tsur, N., Berkovitz, N., & Ginzburg, K. (2016). Body awareness, emotional clarity, and authentic behavior: The moderating role of mindfulness. Journal of Happiness Studies, 17, 1451-1472. https://bitly.ws/3gmKF.
Urquijo, I., Extremera, N., & Villa, A. (2016). Emotional intelligence, life satisfaction, and psychological well-being in graduates: The mediating effect of perceived stress. Applied research in quality of life, 11, 1241-1252. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-015-9432-9.
Uyanık, G. K., & Güler, N. (2013). A study on multiple linear regression analysis. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 106, 234-240. https://bitly.ws/3gmKY.
Wang, K., Weiss, N. H., Pachankis, J. E., & Link, B. G. (2016). Emotional clarity as a buffer in the association between perceived mental illness stigma and suicide risk. Stigma and Health, 1(4), 252. https://doi.org/10.1037/sah0000032.
Wettstein, M., Eich, W., Bieber, C., & Tesarz, J. (2019). Pain intensity, disability, and quality of life in patients with chronic low back pain: does age matter?. Pain Medicine, 20(3), 464-475. https://doi.org/10.1093/pm/pny062.
World Medical Association. (2013). World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki: ethical principles for medical research involving human subjects. Jama, 310(20), 2191-2194. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2013.281053.
Yong, R. J., Mullins, P. M., & Bhattacharyya, N. (2022). Prevalence of chronic pain among adults in the United States. Pain, 163(2), e328-e332. https://doi.org/10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002291.
Zanini, S., Voltolini, A., Gragnano, G., Fumagalli, E., & Pagnini, F. (2018). Changes in Pain Perception following
Psychotherapy: The Mediating Role of Psychological Components. Pain Research & Management, 1203-6765. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/8713084.
Zeidner, M., Matthews, G., & Roberts, R. D. (2012). The emotional intelligence, health, and well‐being nexus: What have we learned and what have we missed?. Applied Psychology: Health and Well‐Being, 4(1), 1-30. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1758-0854.2011.01062.x.
Zeinali, F., & Pourhosein, R. (2016). Effectiveness of treatment base on emotional regulation in reducing chronic pain of patients who suffer from chronic pain. Online International Journal, 6, 315-321. https://bitly.ws/3gmN8.
Zis, P., Varrassi, G., Vadalouka, A., & Paladini, A. (2019). Psychological aspects and quality of life in chronic pain. Pain Research and Management, 1203-6765. https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/8346161.