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Abstracts (899) Chronic pain determinants in black and white men upon initial assessment C Green, S Ndao-Brumblay, T Hart-Johnson; University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI Pain severity, disability and depression are significant hallmarks of the chronic pain experience. In this investigation, 1,884 black (6.2%) and white (93.8%) male patients coming for initial assessment at a tertiary care pain center completed a comprehensive survey including the McGill Pain Questionnaire, Pain Disability Index and Beck Depression Inventory. Sociodemographic data, coping behaviors and stress-related co-morbidities were ascertained. Black men were less educated (p⫽.012) lived in lower income area (p⬍.005) and were more frequently involved in painrelated litigation (p⫽.007). Being black, in litigation, and high-blood pressure resulted in increased pain, disability and depression (p⬍.05). The racial gaps observed were greatest among younger patients. Higher education and income, and being married were associated with poorer health and comorbidities. Alcohol and caffeine use were associated with better health and fewer co-morbidities, but most of these associations were completely mediated by depression and disability. Alcohol for sleep and smoking were indicative of poor adaptation to pain, with increased pain severity, disability and depression. Via MANCOVA accounting for outcome collinearity, the sociodemographic and behavioral-effects on depression observed in the regressions were no longer significant. All predictors but race, caffeine and alcohol remained significantly associated with pain and disability. In conclusion, this investigation supports that alcohol use for sleep and smoking are good predictors of severe pain-related symptoms in men. Black men and especially, young black men are at higher risk for severe pain, depression and disability, mostly due to socio-economic disadvantage. The finding that the physical expressions of pain explain both sociodemographic and behavioral effects on depression suggests that mental health in men is little influenced by contextual and behavioral factors. Instead, physical symptoms are the most important indicators of mental health status in men with chronic pain.

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F07 - Pain and Illness: Behavior (901) Interpersonal sensitivity and catastrophizing as statistical predictors of depression in a chronic pain sample S Waxman, D Tripp, R Flamenbaum; Queen’s University, Kingston, ON The majority of people with chronic pain suffer from impaired physical, interpersonal, and psychological functioning. In fact, the highest incidence rate of depression is among chronic pain patients (30-54%), even when compared to other chronic medical conditions (Banks & Kerns, 1996). A robust relationship exists between chronic pain and depression; however, the mechanism through which psychological and social factors influence pain and depression is not as clearly understood. The purpose of the present study was to examine interpersonal sensitivity and catastrophizing as statistical predictors of depression in a sample of 89 patients from a heterogeneous outpatient pain clinic. Canonical correlation analysis revealed two significant linear combinations relating interpersonal sensitivity (IPSM) and catastrophizing (PCS) to subscales from the CES-D: Depressive Affect, Somatic Symptoms, Positive Affect, and Interpersonal Relations. Canonical loadings were rotated to a varimax criterion, yielding two dimensions reflecting affective and somatic symptoms. Overall, the results indicate that IPSM and PCS are related to different expressions of depressive symptoms. (Banks, Psychological Bulletin, 1996.)

(900) The effects of audio supplementation on patient anxiety during gynecological examinations

(902) Associations between views about cancer pain, pain intensity, and quality of life

C Ochner, K Renshaw, A Haim, A Van Horn, S Bono, B Heck; Baltimore Veteran’s Association Medical Center, Baltimore, MD Elevated levels of anxiety are commonly experienced during gynecological procedures and can cause discomfort for patients and health care providers alike. Literature has shown that relaxation techniques may help to decrease the anxiety and pain experienced by these patients. A small body of research suggests that the use of audio supplements may help to decrease anxiety reported during gynecological procedures, however, such data is limited. As such, the specific aims of this study were to determine the effects of audio supplementation on anxiety during gynecological examinations. Participants were women (N ⫽ 36), with a mean age of 42.6 (SD ⫽ 12.1) years, scheduled for gynecological examinations at the Baltimore Veteran’s Association Medical Center. All participants were randomly assigned to one of four audio-supplement conditions: 1. fast-tempo music (based on beats per minute); 2. slowtempo music; 3. no music (control) and; 4. progressive muscle relaxation (PMR). Audio supplements were played for the duration of the examination. An ANCOVA was used to examine differences in self-reported level of anxiety during the exam rated on a 5-point Likert scale from “not at all anxious” to “extremely anxious”. History of pain during intercourse, sexual abuse, rape, and pre-exam level of anxiety were entered as controls. Results revealed significant differences between audio-supplement conditions. Post-hoc analyses indicate that self-reported anxiety levels were significantly lower with fast-tempo and PMR audio-supplements as compared to slow tempo and no music conditions (p ⫽ 0.024). Data in this study indicate that audio-supplementation may have a significant effect on patient anxiety levels during gynecological exams. Surprisingly, slow-tempo music was associated with the highest self-reported anxiety levels during the examination. Further investigation is warranted to replicate results and potentiate the use of music during gynecological examinations to reduce anxiety, and subsequent discomfort levels in patients.

S Ameringer, S Ward, R Serlin, S Hughes; University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI Cancer pain has detrimental effects on many aspects of quality of life (QOL). Individuals’ representations (a representation is a set of beliefs about the cause, timeline, consequences, and controllability of an illness) have been linked to QOL. Examining representations about cancer pain may be critical to increasing understanding of the influence of pain on QOL. This study examined the relationships (1) between representations and relevant concepts including age, education, present health, and pain intensity, and (2) between representations and QOL. This secondary analysis used baseline data from a randomized controlled trial testing a psychoeducational cancer pain intervention. The Pain Representations Questionnaire (PRQ) assessed the seriousness of the individual’s views about pain on a scale from 0-4, where a higher score indicates a more serious evaluation of the pain. Measures of pain included the Brief Pain Inventory (pain worst, least, now, and interference) and pain duration (1 item). Present health was assessed with one item. Measures of mood and global QOL were from the Cancer QLO-C30. Subjects (N ⫽ 130) mean (SD) age was 58.68 (13.22), 62.3% were female, and 88.5% were Caucasian. Over 60% rated their present health as fair to poor, and mean (SD) worst pain was 6.45 (2.26). Seriousness of representations was correlated with present health (r ⫽ ⫺.37, p ⬍ .01), worst pain (r ⫽ .32, p ⬍ .01), frequency of moderate to severe pain (r ⫽ .33, p ⬍ .01), negative mood (r ⫽ .62, p ⬍ .01), global QOL (r ⫽ ⫺.39, p ⬍ .01), and pain interference (r ⫽ .39, p ⬍ .01). Links between pain representations and several dimensions of QOL were found. Given that correlations were used in the analysis, the direction of the relationship is unclear. Further exploration of the nature of the relationship between pain representations and QOL is warranted.