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. 2015 Oct 1:5:24-30.
doi: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2015.03.014.

Pain-Related Fear, Disability, and the Fear-Avoidance Model of Chronic Pain

Emily L Zale  1 , Joseph W Ditre  1
Affiliations

Pain-Related Fear, Disability, and the Fear-Avoidance Model of Chronic Pain

Emily L Zale et al. Curr Opin Psychol. .

Abstract

Chronic pain is a significant public health concern that imposes substantial burdens on individuals and healthcare systems, and factors that contribute to the development and maintenance of pain-related disability are of increasing empirical and clinical interest. Consistent with the fear-avoidance model of chronic pain, greater pain-related fear has consistently been associated with more severe disability and may predict the progression of disability over time. Recent evidence indicates that treatments designed to reduce pain-related fear are efficacious for improving disability outcomes, and several clinical trials are currently underway to test tailored intervention content and methods of dissemination. Future research in this area is needed to identify factors (e.g., substance use, comorbid psychopathology) that may influence interrelations between pain-related fear, response to treatment, and disability.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Number of citations returned with the search terms (fear of pain OR pain-related fear OR fear-avoidance OR pain-related anxiety) AND disability in PubMed and PsycINFO databases from the introduction of the fear-avoidance model in 2000 to present.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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