Reducing Catastrophic thinking Associated with Pain

Abstract

SUMMARY Over the past two decades increasingly compelling research has identified pain catastrophizing as an important psychological risk factor for a wide range of pain-related outcomes. In response to this literature, there have been calls for the clinical use of catastrophizing as a prognostic indicator of problematic recovery, and for the development of clinical interventions that target catastrophizing and its correlates. This article provides a review of the evidence-based assessment and management tools that are available for the clinical management of patients with elevated levels of catastrophic thinking. Recent research and clinical implementation strategies are discussed for the following interventions: cognitive behavioral techniques, emotional disclosure, reassurance and activity encouragement, neurophysiological education, and graded activity and exposure.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This research was supported by funds from the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR), the Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en securité du travail (IRSST) and by the Physiotherapy Foundation of Canada through the Dominion Physiotherapy Research Scholarship. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by funds from the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR), the Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en securité du travail (IRSST) and by the Physiotherapy Foundation of Canada through the Dominion Physiotherapy Research Scholarship. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed. No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.