Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of Palestinian patients with chronic pain: a cross-sectional study from Al-Shifa Hospital, Gaza

This cross-sectional study examined chronic pain, mental health, and pain catastrophizing among 272 Palestinian patients at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza. Participants (median age 43; 57.7% female) completed assessments using the depression, anxiety, and stress (DASS-21) and pain catastrophizing (PCS) scales. Most were married (78.7%), unemployed (50%), and lived on <1,974 ILS/month (94.1%). Lower limb pain (26.8% knee) predominated, with a median pain duration of 4 years. High rates of mental health symptoms were observed: depression (83.1%), anxiety (83.8%), and stress (88.6%), with 56.3% showing extremely severe anxiety. Pain catastrophizing correlated strongly with psychological distress. Findings highlight the need for integrated, trauma-informed pain management addressing both biomedical and psychosocial factors in conflict-affected populations. Future research should explore how sociopolitical stressors and catastrophic thinking interact to exacerbate pain experiences in humanitarian crises.