Abstract
Background and aims: The aim of this study is to investigate how people with chronic pain cope with everyday problems.
Methods: Subjects (202 men and 323 women) were patients with chronic pain referred to a rehabilitation unit. The Utrecht Coping List (Dutch version of the WCC – ways of coping checklist) was used to measure their coping style at referral. It has 7 factors: approach and avoidance, palliative behaviour, social support, depressive/passive reaction, expressing emotion and comforting cognitions.
Results: Men with chronic pain have lower scores on active problem solving behaviour, and higher scores on palliative behaviour and depressive reaction than men without pain (p< .001). Women with chronic pain have also lower scores on active problem solving behaviour than women without pain, but also on social support and expressing emotion. Like the men scores for women are higher on palliative behaviour (p< .001) and depressive reaction (p< .01), but also on avoidant behaviour (p< .01) and comforting cognitions (p< .001).
Data shows that women with pain have higher scores than men with pain on all scales, except for expressing emotion. Differences on palliative behaviour, avoidant behaviour, social support and comforting cognitions are significant (p < .001).
Conclusions: People – women as well as men – with chronic pain show less active coping behaviour, have a higher score on depressive reaction on problems and use more palliative behaviour in problem situations than people without somatic complaints. It is important to stress the differences between women and men with chronic pain in problem solving behaviour.
Correspondence should be addressed to Mr J. O’Dowd, Honorary Secretary at SBPR c/o BOA, Royal College of Surgeons, 35–43 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London, WC2A 3PE.
