Factors affecting pain beliefs and their determinants in individuals with chronic diseases

J Health Psychol. 2026 Jun 23:13591053261458210. doi: 10.1177/13591053261458210. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

This study was conducted to determine the pain beliefs of individuals with chronic illnesses. The mean psychological belief score of the participants was 4.27 ± 1.02, and the mean organic belief score was 3.82 ± 0.68. Women had higher scores on the psychological beliefs subscale (p = 0.002), while married individuals had higher scores on the organic beliefs subscale (p = 0.045). Participants who reported experiencing pain "always" throughout their lives had higher organic (p = 0.016) and psychological (p = 0.001) belief scores. Additionally, those who experienced every day pain in the last 6 months had higher organic belief scores than individuals reporting no pain (p = 0.005). According to the regression analysis, female gender (β = -0.265; p = 0.003) and lifetime pain experience (β = 0.273; p = 0.005) significantly predicted psychological beliefs, while the frequency of pain experienced in the last 6 months significantly predicted organic beliefs (β = 0.242; p = 0.020). Overall, gender, marital status, and pain experience frequency were found to influence pain beliefs.

PMID:42333918 | DOI:10.1177/13591053261458210