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Pain psychology in the 21st century: lessons learned and moving forward

Flink, Ida K.; Reme, Silje; Jacobsen, Henrik Børsting; Glombiewski, Julia; Vlaeyen, Johan W.S.; Nicholas, Michael K.; Main, Chris J.; Peters, Madelon; Williams, Amanda C. de C.; Schrooten, Martien G.S.; Shaw, William; Boersma, Katja

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Authors

Ida K. Flink

Silje Reme

Henrik Børsting Jacobsen

Julia Glombiewski

Johan W.S. Vlaeyen

Michael K. Nicholas

Chris J. Main

Madelon Peters

Amanda C. de C. Williams

Martien G.S. Schrooten

William Shaw

Katja Boersma



Abstract

Background and aims: In the spring of 2019, Professor Steven J. Linton, the founder of the Center for Health and Medical Psychology (CHAMP) at Örebro University, Sweden, formally retired. As a tribute to his scholarly work covering decades of influence and inspiration to the field of pain psychology, the research center organized a topical conference titled “Pain in the 21st century: Where do we come from and where are we going?”, which resulted in this state-of the-art synthesis. The aim of this declaration is to highlight lessons learned but not in the least is meant to inspire and guide our continued journey forward, developing pain psychology into the 21st century. Methods: Several collaborators of Professor Linton have summarized and reflected on the current state-of-the-art of pain psychology from the perspective of his input to the field, as well as on developments from the last years of advancements in pain psychology. Results: The topics have been divided into six themed sections covering the fear avoidance model, transdiagnostics, secondary prevention, risk- and protective factors, communication and contextual factors. The sections cover a broad spectrum, from basic experimental studies, integrating emotion and motivational theories into current theoretical models, to applied research on the effect of early interventions as well as sophisticated emotion-focused treatment models for pain patients with concurrent emotional ill-health. Conclusions: There have been major advancements within pain psychology research during the last decades, moving the field towards a more comprehensive picture, taking emotional and motivational aspects into account to understand pain sufferers. Although psychologically informed interventions in general mainly focus on the individual, it has been put forward that pain management is highly influenced by the surrounding environment, including communication with health care providers, and the occupational and social context. Implications: Professor Steven J. Linton has been at the forefront of pain psychology research during the last decades, and inspired by his work this journey will continue into the 21st century, with the ultimate goal of enhancing the understanding and treatment for all people suffering from persistent and disabling pain.

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Feb 13, 2020
Online Publication Date Apr 2, 2020
Publication Date Apr 28, 2020
Publicly Available Date Mar 29, 2024
Journal Scandinavian Journal of Pain
Print ISSN 1877-8860
Publisher Elsevier
Volume 20
Issue 2
Pages 229 - 238
DOI https://doi.org/10.1515/sjpain-2019-0180
Keywords pain psychology; fear-avoidance; risk factors;
intervention.
Publisher URL https://www.degruyter.com/view/journals/sjpain/20/2/article-p229.xml
PMID 32242835

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