The relationship between spiritual wellbeing, pain catastrophizing, and pain perception: An exploration of pain perception in individuals with chronic pain

Spiritual wellbeing correlates with improved pain perception. We hypothesize that pain catastrophizing, which correlates with worsened pain, partially explains this relationship. In this cross-sectional, human laboratory-based study, 120 US Americans with chronic pain completed self-report measures of spiritual wellbeing, pain catastrophizing, and their subconstructs. A cold pressor task measured pain perception (i.e. pain sensitivity and pain tolerance). Multiple regressions evaluated the relationship between spiritual wellbeing (and its subconstructs) and pain perception with and without the inclusion of pain catastrophizing (and its subconstructs). No direct relationships were found between spiritual wellbeing or its subconstructs and pain sensitivity, although helplessness significantly altered regression coefficients. Spiritual wellbeing, meaning, and peace associated less strongly with pain tolerance controlling for pain catastrophizing, helplessness, and (for peace) magnification. This shows that many of the links between spiritual wellbeing and pain perception are indirect, through pain catastrophizing and especially helplessness.