Pain catastrophizing and symptom severity during upper respiratory tract illness

Objectives: The present study examined the relation of pain catastrophizing to the severity of upper respiratory tract illness. Materials and Methods: Participants included 50 adults (35 female subjects, 15 male) who were self-diagnosed with upper respiratory tract illness and who agreed to complete a diary of symptoms for 7 days. Illness symptoms were grouped into three categories: pain-related, constitutional, and respiratory symptoms. Results: Results showed that pain catastrophizing was associated with symptom number and symptom severity in all three categories of symptoms. The rumination subscale of the Pain Catastrophizing Scale showed the strongest relations with illness severity. The relation between pain catastrophizing and illness severity remained significant even when controlling for initial symptom severity, duration of the symptoms before the study period, and depression. Discussion: The results provide the preliminary evidence that the influence of pain catastrophizing may not be restricted to pain-specific domains. The data also provide some support for the view that the excessive focus on bodily sensations may account for more severe symptoms.