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Dickens H, Bruehl S, Rao U, Myers H, Goodin B, Huber FA, Nag S, Carter C, Karlson C, Kinney KL, Morris MC. Cognitive-Affective-Behavioral Pathways Linking Adversity and Discrimination to Daily Pain in African-American Adults. J Racial Ethn Health Disparities 2023; 10:2718-2730. [PMID: 36352344 PMCID: PMC10166769 DOI: 10.1007/s40615-022-01449-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Revised: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The tendency to ruminate, magnify, and experience helplessness in the face of pain - known as pain catastrophizing - is a strong predictor of pain outcomes and is associated with adversity. The ability to maintain functioning despite adversity - referred to as resilience - also influences pain outcomes. Understanding the extent to which pain catastrophizing and resilience influence relations between adversity and daily pain in healthy African-American adults could improve pain risk assessment and mitigate racial disparities in the transition from acute to chronic pain. This study included 160 African-American adults (98 women). Outcome measures included daily pain intensity (sensory, affective) and pain impact on daily function (pain interference). Adversity measures included childhood trauma exposure, family adversity, chronic burden from recent stressors, and ongoing perceived stress. A measure of lifetime racial discrimination was also included. Composite scores were created to capture early-life adversity (childhood trauma, family adversity) versus recent-life adversity (perceived stress, chronic burden). Increased pain catastrophizing was correlated with increased adversity (early and recent), racial discrimination, pain intensity, and pain interference. Decreased pain resilience was correlated with increased recent-life adversity (not early-life adversity or racial discrimination) and correlated with increased pain intensity (not pain-related interference). Bootstrapped multiple mediation models revealed that relationships between all adversity/discrimination and pain outcomes were mediated by pain catastrophizing. Pain resilience, however, was not a significant mediator in these models. These findings highlight opportunities for early interventions to reduce cognitive-affective-behavioral risk factors for persisting daily pain among African-American adults with greater adversity exposure by targeting pain catastrophizing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harrison Dickens
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA
| | - Stephen Bruehl
- Department of Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Uma Rao
- Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior and Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, University of CA - Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
- Children's Hospital of Orange County, Orange, CA, USA
| | - Hector Myers
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Burel Goodin
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Felicitas A Huber
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 North State Street, Jackson, MS, 39216, USA
| | - Subodh Nag
- Department of Biochemistry, Cancer Biology, Neuroscience & Pharmacology, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Chelsea Carter
- Department of Biochemistry, Cancer Biology, Neuroscience & Pharmacology, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Cynthia Karlson
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 North State Street, Jackson, MS, 39216, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Hematology/Oncology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA
| | - Kerry L Kinney
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 North State Street, Jackson, MS, 39216, USA
| | - Matthew C Morris
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 North State Street, Jackson, MS, 39216, USA.
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Nguyen LH, Dawson JE, Brooks M, Khan JS, Telusca N. Disparities in Pain Management. Anesthesiol Clin 2023; 41:471-488. [PMID: 37245951 DOI: 10.1016/j.anclin.2023.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Health disparities in pain management remain a pervasive public health crisis. Racial and ethnic disparities have been identified in all aspects of pain management from acute, chronic, pediatric, obstetric, and advanced pain procedures. Disparities in pain management are not limited to race and ethnicity, and have been identified in multiple other vulnerable populations. This review targets health care disparities in the management of pain, focusing on steps health care providers and organizations can take to promote health care equity. A multifaceted plan of action with a focus on research, advocacy, policy changes, structural changes, and targeted interventions is recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lee Huynh Nguyen
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Jessica Esther Dawson
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Meredith Brooks
- Department of Anesthesiology, Cook Children's Health Care System, Texas Christian University School of Medicine, Fort Worth, TX, USA
| | - James S Khan
- Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, Mount Sinai Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Natacha Telusca
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
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Lannon EW, Hellman N, Huber FA, Kuhn BL, Sturycz CA, Palit S, Payne MF, Guereca YM, Toledo T, Shadlow JO, Rhudy JL. Exploration of the trait-activation model of pain catastrophizing in Native Americans: results from the Oklahoma Study of Native American pain risk (OK-SNAP). Scand J Pain 2022; 22:587-596. [PMID: 35289511 PMCID: PMC10165978 DOI: 10.1515/sjpain-2021-0174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Native Americans (NAs) have the highest prevalence of chronic pain of any racial/ethnic group. This issue has received little attention from the scientific community. One factor that may contribute to racial pain disparities is pain catastrophizing. Pain catastrophizing is a construct related to negative pain outcomes in persons with/without chronic pain. It has been suggested that the relationship between trait catastrophizing and pain is mediated by situation-specific (state) catastrophizing. The present study has 2 aims: (1) to investigate whether state pain catastrophizing mediates the relationship between trait catastrophizing and experimental pain (e.g., cold, ischemic, heat and electric tolerance), and (2) to investigate whether this relationship is stronger for NAs. METHODS 145 non-Hispanic Whites (NHWs) and 137 NAs completed the study. Bootstrapped indirect effects were calculated for 4 unmoderated and 8 moderated mediation models (4 models with path a moderated and 4 with path b). RESULTS Consistent with trait-activation theory, significant indirect effects indicated a tendency for trait catastrophizing to be associated with greater state catastrophizing which in turn is associated with reduced pain tolerance during tonic cold (a × b=-0.158) and ischemia stimuli (a × b=-0.126), but not during phasic electric and heat stimuli. Moderation was only noted for the prediction of cold tolerance (path a). Contrary to expectations, the indirect path was stronger for NHWs (a × b for NHW=-.142). CONCLUSIONS Together, these findings suggest that state catastrophizing mediates the relationship between trait catastrophizing and some measures of pain tolerance but this indirect effect was non-significant for NAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward W Lannon
- Department of Psychology, The University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK, USA
- Stanford University, 450 Serra Mall, Stanford, Stanford, CA94305, USA
| | - Natalie Hellman
- Department of Psychology, The University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK, USA
| | | | - Bethany L Kuhn
- Department of Psychology, The University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK, USA
| | | | - Shreela Palit
- University of Florida, Pain Research and Intervention Center of Excellence, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Michael F Payne
- Department of Psychology, The University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Division of Behavioral Medicine & Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Yvette M Guereca
- Department of Psychology, The University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK, USA
| | - Tyler Toledo
- Department of Psychology, The University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK, USA
| | - Joanna O Shadlow
- Department of Psychology, The University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK, USA
| | - Jamie L Rhudy
- Department of Psychology, The University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK, USA
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Kell PA, Hellman N, Huber FA, Lannon EW, Kuhn BL, Sturycz CA, Toledo TA, Demuth MJ, Hahn BJ, Shadlow JO, Rhudy JL. The Relationship Between Adverse Life Events and Endogenous Inhibition of Pain and Spinal Nociception: Findings From the Oklahoma Study of Native American Pain Risk (OK-SNAP). THE JOURNAL OF PAIN 2021; 22:1097-1110. [PMID: 33819573 PMCID: PMC8419014 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2021.03.146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Adverse life events (ALEs) are a risk factor for chronic pain; however, mechanisms underlying this association are not understood. This study examined whether cumulative ALE exposure impairs endogenous inhibition of pain (assessed from pain report) and spinal nociception (assessed from nociceptive flexion reflex; NFR) in healthy, pain-free Native Americans (n = 124) and non-Hispanic Whites (n = 129) during a conditioned pain modulation (CPM) task. Cumulative ALE exposure was assessed prior to testing by summing the number of potentially traumatic events experienced by each participant across their lifespan. Multilevel modeling found that ALEs were associated with NFR modulation during the CPM task even after controlling for general health, body mass index, sex, age, blood pressure, sleep quality, stimulation intensity, stimulus number, perceived stress, and psychological distress. Low exposure to ALEs was associated with NFR inhibition, whereas high exposure to ALEs was associated with NFR facilitation. By contrast, pain perception was inhibited during the CPM task regardless of the level of ALE exposure. Race/ethnicity did not moderate these results. Thus, ALEs may be pronociceptive for both Native Americans and non-Hispanic Whites by impairing descending inhibition of spinal nociception. This could contribute to a chronic pain risk phenotype involving latent spinal sensitization. PERSPECTIVE: This study found that adverse life events were associated with impaired descending inhibition of spinal nociception in a sample of Native Americans and non-Hispanic Whites. These findings expand on previous research linking adversity to chronic pain risk by identifying a proximate physiological mechanism for this association.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parker A Kell
- Department of Psychology; The University of Tulsa; Tulsa, Oklahoma
| | - Natalie Hellman
- Department of Psychology; The University of Tulsa; Tulsa, Oklahoma
| | | | - Edward W Lannon
- Department of Psychology; The University of Tulsa; Tulsa, Oklahoma
| | - Bethany L Kuhn
- Department of Psychology; The University of Tulsa; Tulsa, Oklahoma
| | | | - Tyler A Toledo
- Department of Psychology; The University of Tulsa; Tulsa, Oklahoma
| | - Mara J Demuth
- Department of Psychology; The University of Tulsa; Tulsa, Oklahoma
| | - Burkhart J Hahn
- Department of Psychology; The University of Tulsa; Tulsa, Oklahoma
| | - Joanna O Shadlow
- Department of Psychology; The University of Tulsa; Tulsa, Oklahoma
| | - Jamie L Rhudy
- Department of Psychology; The University of Tulsa; Tulsa, Oklahoma.
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