Do Acute and Chronic Pain Patients Differ on Affirmation of One Aspect of Pain Acceptance? Acknowledgement that a Cure Is Unlikely

Abstract

Background: Many chronic pain patients (CPPs) cannot be cured of their pain, but can learn to manage it. This has led to research on pain “acceptance” which is defined as a behavior pattern with awareness of pain but not directed at changing pain. Objective: CPPs who have accepted their pain generally acknowledge that a cure is unlikely. Time with pain may be necessary to reach such an acknowledgment. It was therefore hypothesized that fewer acute pain patients (APPs) than CPPs should affirm that a cure is unlikely and that other described aspects of acceptance such as denial of disability status should be associated with cure is unlikely in both APPs and CPPs. Study Design: APPs and CPPs were compared for frequency of endorsement of 2 items/questions with face validity for cure is unlikely: little hope of getting better from pain (LH) and physical problem (pain) can’t be cured (CBC). Demographic variables and variables reported associated with acceptance were utilized in logistic prediction models for the above items in APPs and CPPs. Setting: Rehabilitation programs/offices. Results: CPPs were statistically more likely than APPs to affirm both LH and CBC. In both APPs and CPPs, items reported associated with acceptance, e.g., denial of disability status, predicted LH and CBC. Limitations: Information gathered from CPP self-reports. Conclusions: APPs versus CPPs differ on their affirmation on acknowledgement that a cure is unlikely. Key Words: Acceptance, pain acceptance, chronic pain, acute pain, chronic pain patients, acute pain patients, Battery of Health Improvement (BHI 2), cure disability, illness uncertainty