P03-37 - Fear of pain and hostility

Abstract

IntroductionFear of pain motivates defence and protection from events that are perceived as threatening. When defence and protection are not efficient, fear may lead to aggressive acts against the perceived source of threat.ObjectiveThis study tested the link between fear of pain and hostility in adults.AimThe aim was to investigate the relationship between fear of pain and hostility.Method595 community individuals participated to the present study (164 men - 431 women, mean age 34, SD = 12, ranged 18–75). The measures used were: a) the Fear of Pain Questionnaire - III (FPQ-III), b) the Pain Anxiety Symptoms Scale-20 (PASS-20) c) the Hostility and Direction of Hostility Questionnaire (HDHQ) and d) the Aggression subscale of The Symptom Checklist-90-R (SCL-90-R).ResultsWomen predicted significantly more aggression (t = −1.9, p = .05), while for hostility no differences with sex were observed (t = −.2, p = .80). Hostility was significantly correlated with the amount of fear of pain (r = .27, p = .001) and pain anxiety symptoms (r = .23, p = .001). Significantly correlations were also found with aggression and fear of pain (r = .27, p = .001) and pain anxiety symptoms (r = .31, p = .001). Hierarchical linear regression models revealed that, pain anxiety had a significant independent link with hostile attitude (β = .176, p = .001) and fear of pain make independent contributions to predicting aggressive behaviour (β = .090, p = .006).ConclusionThe need for health professionals to assess hostility and aggression in fear of pain behaviors and apply relevant information to the therapeutic regimen was apparent.