Catastrophizing and pain-contingent rest predict patient adjustment in men with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome

Abstract

Cognitive/behavioral and environmental variables are significant predictors of patient adjustment in chronic pain. Using a biopsychosocial template and selecting several pain-relevant constructs from physical, cognitive/behavioral, and environmental predictors, outcomes of pain and disability in chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) were explored. Men (n = 253) from a North American multi-institutional NIH-funded Chronic Prostatitis Cohort Study in 6 US and 1 Canadian centers participated in a survey examining pain and disability. Measures included demographics, urinary symptoms, depression, pain, disability, catastrophizing, control over pain, pain-contingent rest, social support, and solicitous responses from a significant other. Regressions showed that urinary symptoms (beta = .20), depression (beta = .24), and helplessness catastrophizing (beta = .29) predicted overall pain. Further, affective pain was predicted by depression (beta = .39) and helplessness catastrophizing (beta = .44), whereas sensory pain was predicted by urinary symptoms (beta = .25) and helplessness catastrophizing (beta = .37). With regard to disability, urinary symptoms (beta = .17), pain (beta = .21), and pain-contingent rest (beta = .33) were the predictors. These results suggest cognitive/behavioral variables (ie, catastrophizing, pain-contingent rest) may have significant impact on patient adjustment in CP/CPPS. Findings support the need for greater research of such pain-related variables in CP/CPPS.

Perspective: This article explores predictors of patient adjustment in chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS). Cognitive/behavioral variables of catastrophizing and pain-contingent rest respectively predicted greater pain and disability. Catastrophic helplessness was a prominent pain predictor. These findings inform clinicians and researchers on several new variables in CP/CPPS outcomes and suggest future research.