Clinical pain, abstraction, and self-control: being in pain makes it harder to see the forest for the trees and is associated with lower self-control
Helena Gunnarsson,1,2 Jens Agerström1 1Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Linnaeus University, Växjö, Sweden; 2Helsa Vårdcentral, Osby, Sweden Objectives: Although abstract thinking is a fundamental dimension of human cognition, it has...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Dove Medical Press
2018-06-01
|
| Series: | Journal of Pain Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.dovepress.com/clinical-pain-abstraction-and-self-control-being-in-pain-makes-it-hard-peer-reviewed-article-JPR |
| _version_ | 1818296231198195712 |
|---|---|
| author | Gunnarsson H Agerström J |
| author_facet | Gunnarsson H Agerström J |
| author_sort | Gunnarsson H |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Helena Gunnarsson,1,2 Jens Agerström1 1Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Linnaeus University, Växjö, Sweden; 2Helsa Vårdcentral, Osby, Sweden Objectives: Although abstract thinking is a fundamental dimension of human cognition, it has received scant attention in research on pain and cognition. We hypothesized that physical pain impairs abstraction, because when people experience pain at high intensity levels, attention becomes concretely focused on the self in the here and now, where little else matters than finding relief for the pain they are currently experiencing. We also examined the relationship between pain and self-control, predicting that pain would debilitate self-control. Patients and methods: Abstraction and self-reported self-control were assessed in 109 patients with musculoskeletal pain. The influence of specific pain qualities, such as pain intensity, pain interference with daily activities, pain duration, and pain persistence, was examined. Furthermore, we assessed other factors (e.g., anxiety, depression, and fatigue) that could be assumed to play a role in the pain experience and in cognitive performance. Results: Higher pain intensity and persistence were associated with less abstract thinking. Furthermore, self-control decreased with greater pain intensity, persistence, and self-reported pain interference with daily activities. Self-reported depressive symptoms mediated the overall relationship between pain and self-control. Conclusion: Abstraction is compromised in patients reporting higher pain intensity and persistence. Different dimensions of pain also predict lower self-control although depression seems to account for the relationship between overall pain and self-control. The current study is the first to report an association between clinical musculoskeletal pain and abstraction. The results suggest that pain patients may suffer from a broader range of cognitive disadvantages than previously believed. Keywords: abstraction, self-control, clinical pain, musculoskeletal pain, cognition |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T04:00:15Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-990851d37e254127a777d3e1bf7fe3f5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1178-7090 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T04:00:15Z |
| publishDate | 2018-06-01 |
| publisher | Dove Medical Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Pain Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-990851d37e254127a777d3e1bf7fe3f52022-12-22T00:00:30ZengDove Medical PressJournal of Pain Research1178-70902018-06-01Volume 111105111438839Clinical pain, abstraction, and self-control: being in pain makes it harder to see the forest for the trees and is associated with lower self-controlGunnarsson HAgerström JHelena Gunnarsson,1,2 Jens Agerström1 1Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Linnaeus University, Växjö, Sweden; 2Helsa Vårdcentral, Osby, Sweden Objectives: Although abstract thinking is a fundamental dimension of human cognition, it has received scant attention in research on pain and cognition. We hypothesized that physical pain impairs abstraction, because when people experience pain at high intensity levels, attention becomes concretely focused on the self in the here and now, where little else matters than finding relief for the pain they are currently experiencing. We also examined the relationship between pain and self-control, predicting that pain would debilitate self-control. Patients and methods: Abstraction and self-reported self-control were assessed in 109 patients with musculoskeletal pain. The influence of specific pain qualities, such as pain intensity, pain interference with daily activities, pain duration, and pain persistence, was examined. Furthermore, we assessed other factors (e.g., anxiety, depression, and fatigue) that could be assumed to play a role in the pain experience and in cognitive performance. Results: Higher pain intensity and persistence were associated with less abstract thinking. Furthermore, self-control decreased with greater pain intensity, persistence, and self-reported pain interference with daily activities. Self-reported depressive symptoms mediated the overall relationship between pain and self-control. Conclusion: Abstraction is compromised in patients reporting higher pain intensity and persistence. Different dimensions of pain also predict lower self-control although depression seems to account for the relationship between overall pain and self-control. The current study is the first to report an association between clinical musculoskeletal pain and abstraction. The results suggest that pain patients may suffer from a broader range of cognitive disadvantages than previously believed. Keywords: abstraction, self-control, clinical pain, musculoskeletal pain, cognitionhttps://www.dovepress.com/clinical-pain-abstraction-and-self-control-being-in-pain-makes-it-hard-peer-reviewed-article-JPRAbstractionSelf-controlClinical PainMusculoskeletal PainCognition |
| spellingShingle | Gunnarsson H Agerström J Clinical pain, abstraction, and self-control: being in pain makes it harder to see the forest for the trees and is associated with lower self-control Journal of Pain Research Abstraction Self-control Clinical Pain Musculoskeletal Pain Cognition |
| title | Clinical pain, abstraction, and self-control: being in pain makes it harder to see the forest for the trees and is associated with lower self-control |
| title_full | Clinical pain, abstraction, and self-control: being in pain makes it harder to see the forest for the trees and is associated with lower self-control |
| title_fullStr | Clinical pain, abstraction, and self-control: being in pain makes it harder to see the forest for the trees and is associated with lower self-control |
| title_full_unstemmed | Clinical pain, abstraction, and self-control: being in pain makes it harder to see the forest for the trees and is associated with lower self-control |
| title_short | Clinical pain, abstraction, and self-control: being in pain makes it harder to see the forest for the trees and is associated with lower self-control |
| title_sort | clinical pain abstraction and self control being in pain makes it harder to see the forest for the trees and is associated with lower self control |
| topic | Abstraction Self-control Clinical Pain Musculoskeletal Pain Cognition |
| url | https://www.dovepress.com/clinical-pain-abstraction-and-self-control-being-in-pain-makes-it-hard-peer-reviewed-article-JPR |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT gunnarssonh clinicalpainabstractionandselfcontrolbeinginpainmakesithardertoseetheforestforthetreesandisassociatedwithlowerselfcontrol AT agerstromj clinicalpainabstractionandselfcontrolbeinginpainmakesithardertoseetheforestforthetreesandisassociatedwithlowerselfcontrol |