Pain Catastrophizing: an Updated Review

Overview

Journal Indian J Psychol Med

Publisher Sage Publications

Specialty Psychiatry

Date 2013 Feb 27

PMID 23441031

Citations 85

Authors

Lawrence Leung

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Pain catastrophizing has been described for more than half a century which adversely affects the pain coping behavior and overall prognosis in susceptible individuals when challenged by painful conditions. It is a distinct phenomenon which is characterized by feelings of helplessness, active rumination and excessive magnification of cognitions and feelings toward the painful situation. Susceptible subjects may have certain demographic or psychological predisposition. Various models of pain catastrophizing have been proposed which include attention-bias, schema-activation, communal-coping and appraisal models. Nevertheless, consensus is still lacking as to the true nature and mechanisms for pain catastrophizing. Recent advances in population genomics and noninvasive neuroimaging have helped elucidate the known determinants and neurophysiological correlates behind this potentially disabling behavior.

Citing Articles

Grit and Chronic Pain: Associations with Distress, Catastrophizing, Interference, and Control.

Heise M, Ruzek J, Haug N, Cordova M J Clin Psychol Med Settings. 2025; .

PMID: 40082335 DOI: 10.1007/s10880-025-10073-5.

No significant differences in postoperative clinical outcomes evolution after fresh osteochondral allograft transplantation of the knee between patients with pathological and non-pathological scores regarding anxiety, depression, kinesiophobia and....

Gelber P, Ramirez-Bermejo E, Castella-Pujol A, Gonzalez-Osuna A, Farinas O J Exp Orthop. 2025; 12(1):e70210.

PMID: 40059956 PMC: 11888575. DOI: 10.1002/jeo2.70210.

Disparities in Clinical and Experimental Pain Between Non-Hispanic White and Asian American Individuals With Knee Osteoarthritis and the Role of Pain Catastrophizing: Pilot Study in Florida.

Lee C, Kwoh C, Park J, Park L, Ahn H Asian Pac Isl Nurs J. 2025; 9:e64415.

PMID: 39999436 PMC: 11897668. DOI: 10.2196/64415.

Pain Catastrophizing and Substance Misuse: A Scoping Review of the Literature.

Bichon J, Bailey A, Ford S, Lesser V, McHugh R Harv Rev Psychiatry. 2025; 33(1):8-30.

PMID: 39761442 PMC: 11881806. DOI: 10.1097/HRP.0000000000000415.

Pain Self-efficacy Is Associated With Patient-Reported Function in Individuals With Chronic Hip Pain.

Coyne N, Baez S, Murro M, Derrico D, Mancinelli C, Jochimsen K Unknown. 2024; 2(3):264-271.

PMID: 39659487 PMC: 11626437. DOI: 10.2519/josptopen.2024.1021.

References

Elklit A, Jones A . The association between anxiety and chronic pain after whiplash injury: gender-specific effects. Clin J Pain. 2006; 22(5):487-90. DOI: 10.1097/01.ajp.0000208247.18251.bb. View

Finan P, Zautra A, Davis M, Lemery-Chalfant K, Covault J, Tennen H . COMT moderates the relation of daily maladaptive coping and pain in fibromyalgia. Pain. 2010; 152(2):300-307. PMC: 3053137. DOI: 10.1016/j.pain.2010.10.024. View

Michael E, Burns J . Catastrophizing and pain sensitivity among chronic pain patients: moderating effects of sensory and affect focus. Ann Behav Med. 2004; 27(3):185-94. DOI: 10.1207/s15324796abm2703_6. View

Lariviere M, Goffaux P, Marchand S, Julien N . Changes in pain perception and descending inhibitory controls start at middle age in healthy adults. Clin J Pain. 2007; 23(6):506-10. DOI: 10.1097/AJP.0b013e31806a23e8. View

Severeijns R, Vlaeyen J, van den Hout M . Do we need a communal coping model of pain catastrophizing? An alternative explanation. Pain. 2004; 111(3):226-229. DOI: 10.1016/j.pain.2004.07.024. View

Gibson S, Helme R . Age-related differences in pain perception and report. Clin Geriatr Med. 2001; 17(3):433-56, v-vi. DOI: 10.1016/s0749-0690(05)70079-3. View

Cano A, Leong L, Heller J, Lutz J . Perceived entitlement to pain-related support and pain catastrophizing: associations with perceived and observed support. Pain. 2009; 147(1-3):249-54. PMC: 2787815. DOI: 10.1016/j.pain.2009.09.023. View

Sullivan M, Stanish W, Waite H, Sullivan M, Tripp D . Catastrophizing, pain, and disability in patients with soft-tissue injuries. Pain. 1998; 77(3):253-260. DOI: 10.1016/S0304-3959(98)00097-9. View

Edwards R, Kronfli T, Haythornthwaite J, Smith M, McGuire L, Page G . Association of catastrophizing with interleukin-6 responses to acute pain. Pain. 2008; 140(1):135-144. PMC: 2659503. DOI: 10.1016/j.pain.2008.07.024. View

10.

Giardino N, Jensen M, Turner J, Ehde D, Cardenas D . Social environment moderates the association between catastrophizing and pain among persons with a spinal cord injury. Pain. 2003; 106(1-2):19-25. DOI: 10.1016/s0304-3959(03)00226-4. View

11.

Borsbo B, Gerdle B, Peolsson M . Impact of the interaction between self-efficacy, symptoms and catastrophising on disability, quality of life and health in with chronic pain patients. Disabil Rehabil. 2010; 32(17):1387-96. DOI: 10.3109/09638280903419269. View

12.

Gracely R, Geisser M, Giesecke T, Grant M, Petzke F, Williams D . Pain catastrophizing and neural responses to pain among persons with fibromyalgia. Brain. 2004; 127(Pt 4):835-43. DOI: 10.1093/brain/awh098. View

13.

Mounce C, Keogh E, Eccleston C . A principal components analysis of negative affect-related constructs relevant to pain: evidence for a three component structure. J Pain. 2009; 11(8):710-7. DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2009.10.014. View

14.

Ferrari J, Stevens E, Jason L . The Relationship of Self-Control and Abstinence Maintenance: An Exploratory Analysis of Self-Regulation. J Groups Addict Recover. 2010; 4(1/2):32-41. PMC: 2916178. DOI: 10.1080/15560350802712371. View

15.

Riley 3rd J, King C, Wong F, Fillingim R, Mauderli A . Lack of endogenous modulation and reduced decay of prolonged heat pain in older adults. Pain. 2010; 150(1):153-160. PMC: 3631013. DOI: 10.1016/j.pain.2010.04.020. View

16.

McWilliams L, Asmundson G . The relationship of adult attachment dimensions to pain-related fear, hypervigilance, and catastrophizing. Pain. 2006; 127(1-2):27-34. DOI: 10.1016/j.pain.2006.07.020. View

17.

Buenaver L, Edwards R, Haythornthwaite J . Pain-related catastrophizing and perceived social responses: Inter-relationships in the context of chronic pain. Pain. 2006; 127(3):234-242. PMC: 1866270. DOI: 10.1016/j.pain.2006.08.018. View

18.

Crombez G, Bijttebier P, Eccleston C, Mascagni T, Mertens G, Goubert L . The child version of the pain catastrophizing scale (PCS-C): a preliminary validation. Pain. 2003; 104(3):639-646. DOI: 10.1016/S0304-3959(03)00121-0. View

19.

Moore A, Clinch D . Underlying mechanisms of impaired visceral pain perception in older people. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2003; 52(1):132-6. DOI: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2004.52023.x. View

20.

Edwards R, Doleys D, Fillingim R, Lowery D . Ethnic differences in pain tolerance: clinical implications in a chronic pain population. Psychosom Med. 2001; 63(2):316-23. DOI: 10.1097/00006842-200103000-00018. View