0076 Differences in Pain Catastrophizing and Insomnia Among Racially Diverse Veterans with Chronic Pain

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Racially diverse Veterans may be particularly susceptible to insomnia in the context of chronic pain. Pain catastrophizing (PC) involves a negative response to pain including rumination, magnification, and helplessness, and is positively associated with deleterious pain outcomes, including insomnia severity. As little work has examined racial differences among Veterans, this poster will explore differences in insomnia severity and PC between Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, and White Veterans. Methods 271 Veterans with moderate to severe chronic pain seeking treatment to address insomnia completed PC (Pain Catastrophizing Scale; PCS) and insomnia (Insomnia Severity Index; ISI) measures. The sample consisted of 100 Black/African American, 48 Hispanic/Latino, and 123 White Veterans. A one-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) investigated whether ISI varied significantly across racial groups. Similarly, ANCOVAs were conducted to test whether PC differed by race. Numerical pain rating was included as a covariate in the models. Results There was a significant difference in insomnia severity [F(2 , 263) = 4.03; p = .02; partial n2 = .03] by race. Post-hoc analyses demonstrated a significant difference in insomnia severity between Black/African Americans and White Veterans (p = .02). There was also a statistically significant difference in PC based on race, (F(2 , 262) = 7.03, p = .001; partial n2 = .05). Post-hoc analyses indicated a significant difference in PC between Black/African Americans and White Veterans (p = .01), as well as White and Hispanic/Latino Veterans (p < .01).In addition, there were significant differences in all three PCS subscales by race. Black/African Americans and White Veterans significantly differed on rumination (p < .01), and magnification (p < .001). White and Hispanic Veterans significantly differed on rumination (p = .02), magnification (p = .001) and helplessness (p < .05). Conclusion This is the first study to explore insomnia and PC differences by race in Veterans. Black/African American and Hispanic Veterans demonstrated higher insomnia severity and PC than White Veterans. No significant differences emerged between Black/African American and Hispanic Veterans. Interventions that reduce PC may be particularly important for improving sleep for racial minority Veterans. Future studies should explore the relationship between sleep and PC for racial minority Veterans. Support (If Any)