Role of history of traumatic life experiences in current psychosomatic manifestations.
Scand J Pain
; 24(1)2024 Jan 01.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38661113
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES:
Although the relationship between traumatic experiences (TEs) and psychosomatic manifestations (pain, somatization, somatosensory amplification [SSA], and alexithymia) has been widely described, very few studies have investigated how these variables correlate with each other and with a history of TEs. The aim of this study was to investigate whether and how current psychosomatic manifestations are correlated with major and minor adult- and childhood TEs.METHODS:
One hundred and forty-six patients (91 with pain) from the Pisa Gift Institute for Integrative Medicine Psychosomatics Lab., Italy, were assessed for pain, history of TEs (divided into major and minor based on whether or not they meet the DSM-5 Criterion A for post-traumatic stress disorder), alexithymia, somatization, and SSA.RESULTS:
TEs were positively correlated with age, the sensorial dimension and intensity of pain, somatization, psychopathology index, SSA, and alexithymia. Using the somatization score (controlled for age) as a covariate, the previous correlations between psychosomatic dimensions and TEs lost their statisticalsignificance:
SSA (total TEs from r = 0.30, p = 0.000 to r = -0.04, p = 0.652); alexithymia (total TEs from r = 0.28, p = 0.001 to r = 0.04, p = 0.663); sensorial dimension of pain (total TEs from r = 0.30, p = 0.015 to r = 0.12, p = 0.373); and pain intensity (total TEs from r = 0.38, p = 0.004 to r = -0.15, p = 0.317). Interestingly, the tendency to report more intense pain was mainly predicted by minor TEs in childhood (ß = 0.28; p = 0.030).CONCLUSIONS:
The number of lifetime TEs is positively correlated with the sensorial dimension and intensity of pain but not its affective and cognitive dimensions. However, the former relationship depends on the presence of somatization. The intensity of pain is associated with minor rather than major TEs, especially when they occur in childhood.Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Transtornos Somatoformes
/
Sintomas Afetivos
Limite:
Adult
/
Aged
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
País/Região como assunto:
Europa
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Scand J Pain
Ano de publicação:
2024
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Itália