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The effect of monitoring ‘processing style’ on post‐surgical neuropathic pain in women with breast cancer
Author(s) -
Sherman K.A.,
Winch C.J.,
Koukoulis A.,
Koelmeyer L.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
european journal of pain
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.305
H-Index - 109
eISSN - 1532-2149
pISSN - 1090-3801
DOI - 10.1002/ejp.641
Subject(s) - distress , breast cancer , anxiety , medicine , neuropathic pain , depression (economics) , breast surgery , hospital anxiety and depression scale , surgical stress , physical therapy , cancer , psychiatry , clinical psychology , anesthesia , economics , macroeconomics
Background Pain is a commonly reported symptom following surgery that is more likely to occur in individuals psychologically distressed prior to surgery. Monitoring processing style, a cognitive tendency to focus on health‐related threats, has been associated with increased reporting of somatic symptoms, but no studies have specifically addressed the link between this cognitive style and pain. This prospective clinical study aimed to investigate whether monitoring processing style predicted post‐surgical pain in women undergoing breast surgery, controlling for pre‐surgical psychological distress. Methods Women scheduled to undergo breast cancer surgery ( N = 106) completed pre‐surgical assessments of monitoring processing style ( M iller B ehavioral S tyle S cale) and psychological distress ( D epression A nxiety S tress S cales‐21). Demographic and medical characteristics were documented. Self‐reported neuropathic pain ( N europathic P ain S cale) was assessed at 3 months post surgery. Results Post‐surgical neuropathic pain levels were low to moderate ( M = 19.3, SD = 21.1). Higher pre‐surgical monitoring processing style scores significantly predicted higher post‐surgical neuropathic pain ( β = 0.23, p = 0.023), over and above psychological stress ( β = 0.22, p = 0.020) and age ( β = −0.25, p = 0.011). Conclusions Pre‐surgical monitoring processing style was an independent predictor of post‐surgical neuropathic pain, even when accounting for pre‐surgical psychological distress. Since the reduction of post‐surgical pain is a key goal of healthcare, efforts should be made prior to breast cancer surgery to counsel and support individuals with high monitoring processing styles irrespective of their level of distress.