The Relationship Between Pain Catastrophizing and Outcomes of a 3-Week Comprehensive Pain Rehabilitation Program

Objective. Pain catastrophizing is an important predictor of functioning and disability among individuals with chronic pain, and modification of catastrophic interpretations of pain is a proposed treatment mechanism of pain rehabilitation. The purpose of the current study is to examine the relationship between changes in catastrophic thinking and treatment outcomes for a large sample of patients with chronic pain. Methods. 648 adult patients with chronic pain completed a 3-week intensive outpatient comprehensive pain rehabilitation program. Measures of pain severity, pain-related life interference, depression, and pain catastrophizing were completed at admission and discharge. Results. Consistent with prior research, pain catastrophizing was associated with several negative pain-related outcomes. Results of a within-subjects mediational analysis indicated that pain catastrophizing not only improved during the treatment program, but also accounted for a significant portion of the variance in the reduction of pain severity, pain interference, and depression at the end of treatment. Conclusions. This study adds further support to the position that pain catastrophizing has a detrimental role in adaptation to chronic pain, and that this construct can be successfully modified in treatment to improve patient outcomes.