Pain characteristics, coping strategies and its relation with the quality of life in patients with chronic pain diseases

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship among pain characteristics, coping strategies, and the perception of quality of life in patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), Osteoarthritis (OA) and Fibromyalgia (FM) through a descriptive correlational method. METHOD: 99 participants from a rheumatic diseases clinic in Bogota (Colombia) were surveyed. Variables were measured with the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), the McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ), the Coping Strategies Questionnaire (CSQ), and the Rheumatoid Arthritis Quality of Life Scale (RAQoL). RESULTS: The perception of quality of life was lower when patients reported higher intensity in the perception of pain and a higher score in the affective, sensorial, and evaluative domains of pain. Coping strategies varied among patients with RA, OA, and FM; however, catastrophic thinking is the cognitive strategy mostly used among the three pathologies. CONCLUSION: Intervention programs that help patients change or improve their coping strategies to reduce the intensity of pain and how it is valued are needed in order to produce a positive impact in the quality of life.