Date of Award

5-2010

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Degree Program

Applied Biopsychology

Department

Psychology

Major Professor

Greve, Kevin

Second Advisor

LaHoste, Gerald J.

Third Advisor

Weems, Carl

Fourth Advisor

Bianchini, Kevin J.

Fifth Advisor

Soignier, R. Denis

Abstract

Psychological and contextual factors play an important role in the development and maintenance of chronic spine-related pain, and effective treatment of pain-related conditions requires an understanding of how these factors contribute to pain and disability. The present study examined the relative contributions of spine pathology, psychological complications, and demographic factors to perceived pain intensity and disability in patients with chronic spine-related pain. Because most patients were assessed in the context of a compensable injury, exaggeration of symptoms and disability was systematically controlled for using multiple validity indicators. A high prevalence of psychological complications was observed in the present sample. Analysis indicated that psychological factors were not significantly related to pain intensity, but were significantly related to reported pain-related disability. Further, psychological factors were found to predict pain-related disability beyond demographics, medical findings, and pain intensity. Clinical implications of these findings are discussed.

Rights

The University of New Orleans and its agents retain the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible this dissertation or thesis in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. The author retains all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis or dissertation.

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