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890 PLACEBO NON-RESPONDERS IN GROUP OF PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC NEUROPATHIC PAIN
S230
European Journal of Pain 2006, Vol 10 (suppl S1)
887 DEVELOPMENT OF CRPS TYPE 1 IN 12 YEAR OLD BOY DUE TO FATHERS ESTABLISHMENT OF A GAY RELATIONSHIP B. Hval1 ° , E.A. Fors2 , P.C. Borchgrevink3 . 1 Center for Pain and Complex Disorders, St Olavs Hospital, 2 Department of Neuroscience NTNU, 3 Pain and Palliation Research Group, NTNU, Norway Background: The morbidity of CRPS type 1 generally has been associated with psychosocial stressors, especially in children and adolescents. Individual cases that clearly show direct relationships between psychological factors and CRPS type 1 are rare, however, and thus definite case stories are beneficial. Case story: 15 months after father had left his family, a 12 year old boy stopped using his left leg following a minor trauma. Despite several hospitalisations with arthroscopy and examination in general anaesthesia, his leg gradually worsened developing dystrophy, allodynia and constant pain. He was not able to move his knee and nobody was allowed to touch his leg. He was later mobilised at St. Olav’s Hospital while having continuous epidural anaesthesia. A thorough bio-psycho-social pain investigation uncovered repressed psychological aspects. His mother disclosed information to the pain nurse about the real reason why her former husband moved, which was to establish a gay relationship. The boy got no explanation why his father left, and felt guilty about his fathers leaving. After half a year with specific psychological treatment based on this new information, he managed to visit his father and new gay partner accompanied by his mother and his leg recovered completely with mobilisation during pain control. Comment: Although it is often assumed that psychological factors are important in CRPS I for children, it is rare that fulminant cases with grave immobilisation will recover completely after psychological treatment.
888 ATTENTIONAL DISTRACTION FROM PAIN WORKS . . . BUT NOT ALWAYS: A QUESTIONNAIRE STUDY K. Verhoeven1 ° , G. Crombez1 , E. Van den Bussche2 . 1 Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Ghent, Ghent, 2 Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Leuven, Campus Kortrijk, Belgium Background and Aims: Directing attention away from pain is an intuitive way to attempt to control pain, but empirical results are inconsistent. Eccleston & Crombez (1999) proposed several variables that may interfere with its effectivity, amongst which pain intensity, its threat value and its novelty. We investigated the impact of these variables upon the self-rated effectiveness of distraction. Methods: A questionnaire containing several short descriptions of situations, was developed. The content varied as a function of pain intensity, novelty, threat value, and the nature of the distraction task. 265 students indicated to what extent they believed distraction would work in each situation using a 5-point scale. Results: Results indicated that participants rated distraction to be less effective when pain was intense and threatening (p < 0.001). There was no effect of pain novelty. Finally, social contact was perceived as a better distraction task than positive imagery (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Although attentional distraction to manage pain is often used and intuively appealing, there are some factors that may limit its effectivity. Theoretical models have pointed at some of these variables. This research replicate and extend these considerations. In particular, individuals consider attentional distraction from pain as less effective when pain is intense, threatening, and distraction merely consists of mental activity such as imagery. technique.
Abstracts, 5th EFIC Congress, Free Presentations 889 THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PAIN CATASTROPHIZING, SOCIAL SUPPORT SEEKING AND PAIN EXPRESSION IN SCHOOL CHILDREN AND CHILDREN WITH CHRONIC PAIN T. Vervoort1,2 ° , L. Goubert1,2 , G. Crombez1,2 . 1 Department of Experimental-Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Belgium, 2 Research Institute for Psychology and Health, The Netherlands Aim of investigation: The present study aimed at investigating the relationship between pain catastrophizing in children, the child’s painrelated support seeking and parental perceptions of their child’s pain expression, in school children and children with chronic pain. Methods: The sample of school children consisted of 660 children (mean age = 12.16 years). The sample of children with chronic pain consisted of 61 children (mean age = 12.23 years). Children reported on their catastrophizing thoughts (PCS-C), pain-related support seeking, and pain intensity (VAS). Parents of school children (n = 633 mothers, mean age = 40.43 years; n = 488 fathers, mean age = 42.32 years) and parents of children with chronic pain (n = 51 mothers, mean age = 42.33 years; n = 34 fathers; mean age = 44.63 years) reported on their perception of pain expressiveness of their child. Results: For both samples, the child’s pain catastrophizing had a significant positive contribution in explaining the child’s pain-related support seeking. For the non-clinical sample, but not for the clinical sample, the child’s pain catastrophizing was a significant predictor of the mothers’ and the fathers’ perception of their child’s communicative pain behaviour. Within this nonclinical sample, pain catastrophizing was also found to be a significant predictor of perception of paternal protective pain behaviour. Conclusions: The results of this study offer support for an expressive orientation to dealing with pain in high catastrophizing children, especially within school children. However, for high catastrophizing children suffering chronic pain, parents do not perceive their child as being more pain expressive. Observational studies should be undertaken to further investigate the expressive features and parental reactions of high pain catastrophizing in children. Acknowledgments: Tine Vervoort is Research Assistant of the Fund for Scientific Research – Flanders (Belgium)(F.W.O.). Liesbet Goubert is Postdoctoral Fellow of the Fund for Scientific Research – Flanders (Belgium)(F.W.O.). F09 PLACEBO 890 PLACEBO NON-RESPONDERS IN GROUP OF PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC NEUROPATHIC PAIN J. Dobrogowski1 ° , J. Wordliczek2 , A. Przeklasa-Muszynska1 , M. Kocot-Kepska1 . 1 Department of Pain Research and Treatment, 2 Department of Pain Treatment and Palliative Care, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland Background and Aim: Conditioning and expectations constitute one of the most important factors that impact on the presence of the placebo effect, whose frequency of occurrence varies considerably (from to 0−100%). The aim of the investigation was to study the placebo effect in patients suffering from chronic neuropathic pain resistant to pharmacotherapy using analgesic drugs. Methods: The study involved 19 patients who, in stage one of the study, were subjected to intravenous pharmacological tests, being interchangeably administered placebo (0.9% NaCl) and analgesics (metamizol, paracetamol, ketoprofen, lidocaine, tramadol, fentanyl) and who did not show any pain relief using drugs tested or placebo. Stage two of the study involved the intravenous administration of placebo to all the patients having informed them first that they will be receiving a strong analgesic. Pain intensity was measured using the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) before and after analgesic and placebo administration, both in stage one and stage two of the study. Results: In the patient group studied, in stage one of the study no pain relief greater than 1 point on the NRS was observed. Similarly, in stage two, despite the conditioning used, no pain relief was observed.
Topic F: TREATMENT APPROACHES (PSYCHOSOCIAL & COGNITIVE) Conclusions: In patients with chronic neuropathic pain resistant to analgesic drugs no placebo effect was observed, which may be due to degeneration of the descending antinociceptive system in patients studied. F10 SOCIAL AND CULTURAL VARIABLES
S231 were the strategies that explain patient’s experiences during pain trajectory. They found themselves very vulnerable during illness and hospitalization. Conclusions: The article has addressed cultural perspectives that should be considered by nurses when a patient is in pain in order to act more effectively in care of clients with pain in diverse cultures.
891 PAIN AS SOCIAL REPRESENTATION: SHARED MEANINGS AMONG HEALTH PROFESSIONALS. A CROSS-DISCIPLINARY STUDY
893 TREATMENT-RELATED PAIN (TRP) AND SOCIAL REPRESENTATIONS
R. Cancian1 ° , A. Contarello2 , M. Sarrica2 , A. Nencini2 , M. Pal`u1 . 1 Department of Anaesthesiology & Intensive Care, Civic Hospital, Rovigo, 2 Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Italy
N. Peoch ° , G. Lopez, N. Castes, V. Fuzier, N. Cantagrel. CLUD (Committee for the fight against pain, CFAP)/CHU (University Hospital Center), Toulouse, France
Background and Aims: Pain is a complex issue with many different aspects concerning both sensorial and emotional experience. This study – part of a joint hospital-university project invoving social psychologists and anaesthesiologists – investigates how social dynamics shape and redefine the experience of pain. Adopting a socio-constructivist perspective: the social representation approach (Moscovici), we explore the concept of “pain” as it is continuously re-defined, constructed and shared among health professionals. Methods: 120 health professionals (31 doctors, 67 nurses, 22 others) completed questionnaires containing free association tasks and several Likert scales. Correspondence and exploratory factor analysis were carried out to study the content and structure of the social representation, as well as the respondent’s position. Results: Content: ‘pain’ evokes physical, acute and potentially terminal suffering, whereas chronic pain and psychological features are less frequently mentioned; structure: mainly concerns intensity, but is also seen as a problem to be faced, despite hidden or denied feelings of disquiet; position: differences linked to respondents’ gender, age, role, length of service and work satisfaction. Conclusions: The combined efforts of a university-hospital team have highlighted the similarities and differences in group perspectives at various levels. Our findings together with future research may help to improve professional training.
Introduction: In 2004, the CLUD of the Toulouse University Hospital Center carried out a study among health care professionals aimed at identifying representations of how to handle treatment-related pain (TRP) and analyzing actual practices. Introductory questions: What do health professionals know about TRP? What are their attitudes? What position do they take? Theoretical approach: The theory of social representations interpreted according to W. Doise’s four levels of explanation and analysis. Research question: “Does my identity as a health care professional influence my manner of dealing with pain”? Methodology: Instruments = questionnaires; Content analysis = ALCESTE (statistical software package), Sample = 302 health professionals. Discussion and Conclusion: The professional response to TRP centers around two approaches: the first, a technical, action-based orientation maintaining a certain emotional distance; the second, a humanist and existential nurturing perspective driven by the desire to provide comfort and support. This study showed that medical professionals base their actions on a clear reading of the health care context in its historic, social and cultural complexity. The manner of dealing with TRP symbolically reflects group membership and professional context. This reality must be acknowledged and taken into account in pre-service training and continuing education of health care professionals.
References
894 THE PSYCHOSOCIAL EXPERIENCE OF SOUTH AFRICAN CHRONIC PAIN PATIENTS
Moscovici S. La psychanalise, son image, son public. 1976 Presses Universitaires de France, Paris.
892 PATIENTS’ PERCEPTION OF ACUTE PAIN: CULTURAL REALITIES L. Jouybari ° , A. Sanagoo. Nursing, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Golestan, Iran Background and Aims: Pain is a comprehensive, multidimensional, and holistic experience. This experience includes the physical, psychological, sociocultural, and spiritual expressions of pain. The purpose of this study was to explore the patients’ lived experiences about their surgical pain in two different culturally groups of Iranian patients including Turkmen and Azerbaijani. Methods: In this qualitative, phenomenology study data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 36, 18−60 years old patients; from 2 large educational hospitals in 2 provinces of Iran. Participants included patients from surgical and orthopaedic wards. The interviews transcribed verbatim and analyzed using constant-comparative method of analysis. The data were then analyzed using Collaizzi analytical method. Results: While most participants used words such as torment, very powerful, intense, and horrible to describe their pain, they experienced physical pain tolerable but not emotional one. Both group of patients (Turkmen and Azerbaijani) expressed their obligation and worries to their families during the course of illness. The existence of caring staff, expert doctor, assurance of recovery, and social support found to be the crucial factors for better cope with pain. Enduring, self-help, seeking help from others
S.P. Walker1 ° , C.L. Odendaal2 , K.G.F. Esterhuyse1 . 1 Department of Psychology, University of The Free State, 2 Pain Control Unit, Department of Anesthesiology, University of The Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa Aims: To gather biographical and pain data for a sample of South African patients visiting a specialist pain control unit, as well as to investigate the role of various psychosocial variables in this sample’s chronic pain experience. Subjects and Method: 325 adult outpatients from a chronic pain unit completed a biographical questionnaire, the West Haven-Yale Multidimensional Pain Inventory and various supplementary scales of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2. Diagnostic data were also gathered for the sample. Descriptive statistics were calculated for the sample and t-tests were used to compare the current sample’s mean scores on the measuring instruments to those of American normative samples. Results: The South African sample displayed elevated levels of perceived pain-related functional limitations, as well as increased frequency of psychopathology and emotional distress. However, the current sample also reported higher levels of social support and were inclined to be more socially and physically active when compared to individuals in other studies. Conclusion: Specific demographic and diagnostic tendencies appear evident in the current sample. Furthermore, South African chronic pain patients seem to exhibit similar, if more pronounced, psychosocial profiles to a comparable American sample. Various areas for potentially promising future research were also identified.
European Journal of Pain 2006, Vol 10 (suppl S1)
887 DEVELOPMENT OF CRPS TYPE 1 IN 12 YEAR OLD BOY DUE TO FATHERS ESTABLISHMENT OF A GAY RELATIONSHIP B. Hval1 ° , E.A. Fors2 , P.C. Borchgrevink3 . 1 Center for Pain and Complex Disorders, St Olavs Hospital, 2 Department of Neuroscience NTNU, 3 Pain and Palliation Research Group, NTNU, Norway Background: The morbidity of CRPS type 1 generally has been associated with psychosocial stressors, especially in children and adolescents. Individual cases that clearly show direct relationships between psychological factors and CRPS type 1 are rare, however, and thus definite case stories are beneficial. Case story: 15 months after father had left his family, a 12 year old boy stopped using his left leg following a minor trauma. Despite several hospitalisations with arthroscopy and examination in general anaesthesia, his leg gradually worsened developing dystrophy, allodynia and constant pain. He was not able to move his knee and nobody was allowed to touch his leg. He was later mobilised at St. Olav’s Hospital while having continuous epidural anaesthesia. A thorough bio-psycho-social pain investigation uncovered repressed psychological aspects. His mother disclosed information to the pain nurse about the real reason why her former husband moved, which was to establish a gay relationship. The boy got no explanation why his father left, and felt guilty about his fathers leaving. After half a year with specific psychological treatment based on this new information, he managed to visit his father and new gay partner accompanied by his mother and his leg recovered completely with mobilisation during pain control. Comment: Although it is often assumed that psychological factors are important in CRPS I for children, it is rare that fulminant cases with grave immobilisation will recover completely after psychological treatment.
888 ATTENTIONAL DISTRACTION FROM PAIN WORKS . . . BUT NOT ALWAYS: A QUESTIONNAIRE STUDY K. Verhoeven1 ° , G. Crombez1 , E. Van den Bussche2 . 1 Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Ghent, Ghent, 2 Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Leuven, Campus Kortrijk, Belgium Background and Aims: Directing attention away from pain is an intuitive way to attempt to control pain, but empirical results are inconsistent. Eccleston & Crombez (1999) proposed several variables that may interfere with its effectivity, amongst which pain intensity, its threat value and its novelty. We investigated the impact of these variables upon the self-rated effectiveness of distraction. Methods: A questionnaire containing several short descriptions of situations, was developed. The content varied as a function of pain intensity, novelty, threat value, and the nature of the distraction task. 265 students indicated to what extent they believed distraction would work in each situation using a 5-point scale. Results: Results indicated that participants rated distraction to be less effective when pain was intense and threatening (p < 0.001). There was no effect of pain novelty. Finally, social contact was perceived as a better distraction task than positive imagery (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Although attentional distraction to manage pain is often used and intuively appealing, there are some factors that may limit its effectivity. Theoretical models have pointed at some of these variables. This research replicate and extend these considerations. In particular, individuals consider attentional distraction from pain as less effective when pain is intense, threatening, and distraction merely consists of mental activity such as imagery. technique.
Abstracts, 5th EFIC Congress, Free Presentations 889 THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PAIN CATASTROPHIZING, SOCIAL SUPPORT SEEKING AND PAIN EXPRESSION IN SCHOOL CHILDREN AND CHILDREN WITH CHRONIC PAIN T. Vervoort1,2 ° , L. Goubert1,2 , G. Crombez1,2 . 1 Department of Experimental-Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Belgium, 2 Research Institute for Psychology and Health, The Netherlands Aim of investigation: The present study aimed at investigating the relationship between pain catastrophizing in children, the child’s painrelated support seeking and parental perceptions of their child’s pain expression, in school children and children with chronic pain. Methods: The sample of school children consisted of 660 children (mean age = 12.16 years). The sample of children with chronic pain consisted of 61 children (mean age = 12.23 years). Children reported on their catastrophizing thoughts (PCS-C), pain-related support seeking, and pain intensity (VAS). Parents of school children (n = 633 mothers, mean age = 40.43 years; n = 488 fathers, mean age = 42.32 years) and parents of children with chronic pain (n = 51 mothers, mean age = 42.33 years; n = 34 fathers; mean age = 44.63 years) reported on their perception of pain expressiveness of their child. Results: For both samples, the child’s pain catastrophizing had a significant positive contribution in explaining the child’s pain-related support seeking. For the non-clinical sample, but not for the clinical sample, the child’s pain catastrophizing was a significant predictor of the mothers’ and the fathers’ perception of their child’s communicative pain behaviour. Within this nonclinical sample, pain catastrophizing was also found to be a significant predictor of perception of paternal protective pain behaviour. Conclusions: The results of this study offer support for an expressive orientation to dealing with pain in high catastrophizing children, especially within school children. However, for high catastrophizing children suffering chronic pain, parents do not perceive their child as being more pain expressive. Observational studies should be undertaken to further investigate the expressive features and parental reactions of high pain catastrophizing in children. Acknowledgments: Tine Vervoort is Research Assistant of the Fund for Scientific Research – Flanders (Belgium)(F.W.O.). Liesbet Goubert is Postdoctoral Fellow of the Fund for Scientific Research – Flanders (Belgium)(F.W.O.). F09 PLACEBO 890 PLACEBO NON-RESPONDERS IN GROUP OF PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC NEUROPATHIC PAIN J. Dobrogowski1 ° , J. Wordliczek2 , A. Przeklasa-Muszynska1 , M. Kocot-Kepska1 . 1 Department of Pain Research and Treatment, 2 Department of Pain Treatment and Palliative Care, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland Background and Aim: Conditioning and expectations constitute one of the most important factors that impact on the presence of the placebo effect, whose frequency of occurrence varies considerably (from to 0−100%). The aim of the investigation was to study the placebo effect in patients suffering from chronic neuropathic pain resistant to pharmacotherapy using analgesic drugs. Methods: The study involved 19 patients who, in stage one of the study, were subjected to intravenous pharmacological tests, being interchangeably administered placebo (0.9% NaCl) and analgesics (metamizol, paracetamol, ketoprofen, lidocaine, tramadol, fentanyl) and who did not show any pain relief using drugs tested or placebo. Stage two of the study involved the intravenous administration of placebo to all the patients having informed them first that they will be receiving a strong analgesic. Pain intensity was measured using the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) before and after analgesic and placebo administration, both in stage one and stage two of the study. Results: In the patient group studied, in stage one of the study no pain relief greater than 1 point on the NRS was observed. Similarly, in stage two, despite the conditioning used, no pain relief was observed.
Topic F: TREATMENT APPROACHES (PSYCHOSOCIAL & COGNITIVE) Conclusions: In patients with chronic neuropathic pain resistant to analgesic drugs no placebo effect was observed, which may be due to degeneration of the descending antinociceptive system in patients studied. F10 SOCIAL AND CULTURAL VARIABLES
S231 were the strategies that explain patient’s experiences during pain trajectory. They found themselves very vulnerable during illness and hospitalization. Conclusions: The article has addressed cultural perspectives that should be considered by nurses when a patient is in pain in order to act more effectively in care of clients with pain in diverse cultures.
891 PAIN AS SOCIAL REPRESENTATION: SHARED MEANINGS AMONG HEALTH PROFESSIONALS. A CROSS-DISCIPLINARY STUDY
893 TREATMENT-RELATED PAIN (TRP) AND SOCIAL REPRESENTATIONS
R. Cancian1 ° , A. Contarello2 , M. Sarrica2 , A. Nencini2 , M. Pal`u1 . 1 Department of Anaesthesiology & Intensive Care, Civic Hospital, Rovigo, 2 Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Italy
N. Peoch ° , G. Lopez, N. Castes, V. Fuzier, N. Cantagrel. CLUD (Committee for the fight against pain, CFAP)/CHU (University Hospital Center), Toulouse, France
Background and Aims: Pain is a complex issue with many different aspects concerning both sensorial and emotional experience. This study – part of a joint hospital-university project invoving social psychologists and anaesthesiologists – investigates how social dynamics shape and redefine the experience of pain. Adopting a socio-constructivist perspective: the social representation approach (Moscovici), we explore the concept of “pain” as it is continuously re-defined, constructed and shared among health professionals. Methods: 120 health professionals (31 doctors, 67 nurses, 22 others) completed questionnaires containing free association tasks and several Likert scales. Correspondence and exploratory factor analysis were carried out to study the content and structure of the social representation, as well as the respondent’s position. Results: Content: ‘pain’ evokes physical, acute and potentially terminal suffering, whereas chronic pain and psychological features are less frequently mentioned; structure: mainly concerns intensity, but is also seen as a problem to be faced, despite hidden or denied feelings of disquiet; position: differences linked to respondents’ gender, age, role, length of service and work satisfaction. Conclusions: The combined efforts of a university-hospital team have highlighted the similarities and differences in group perspectives at various levels. Our findings together with future research may help to improve professional training.
Introduction: In 2004, the CLUD of the Toulouse University Hospital Center carried out a study among health care professionals aimed at identifying representations of how to handle treatment-related pain (TRP) and analyzing actual practices. Introductory questions: What do health professionals know about TRP? What are their attitudes? What position do they take? Theoretical approach: The theory of social representations interpreted according to W. Doise’s four levels of explanation and analysis. Research question: “Does my identity as a health care professional influence my manner of dealing with pain”? Methodology: Instruments = questionnaires; Content analysis = ALCESTE (statistical software package), Sample = 302 health professionals. Discussion and Conclusion: The professional response to TRP centers around two approaches: the first, a technical, action-based orientation maintaining a certain emotional distance; the second, a humanist and existential nurturing perspective driven by the desire to provide comfort and support. This study showed that medical professionals base their actions on a clear reading of the health care context in its historic, social and cultural complexity. The manner of dealing with TRP symbolically reflects group membership and professional context. This reality must be acknowledged and taken into account in pre-service training and continuing education of health care professionals.
References
894 THE PSYCHOSOCIAL EXPERIENCE OF SOUTH AFRICAN CHRONIC PAIN PATIENTS
Moscovici S. La psychanalise, son image, son public. 1976 Presses Universitaires de France, Paris.
892 PATIENTS’ PERCEPTION OF ACUTE PAIN: CULTURAL REALITIES L. Jouybari ° , A. Sanagoo. Nursing, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Golestan, Iran Background and Aims: Pain is a comprehensive, multidimensional, and holistic experience. This experience includes the physical, psychological, sociocultural, and spiritual expressions of pain. The purpose of this study was to explore the patients’ lived experiences about their surgical pain in two different culturally groups of Iranian patients including Turkmen and Azerbaijani. Methods: In this qualitative, phenomenology study data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 36, 18−60 years old patients; from 2 large educational hospitals in 2 provinces of Iran. Participants included patients from surgical and orthopaedic wards. The interviews transcribed verbatim and analyzed using constant-comparative method of analysis. The data were then analyzed using Collaizzi analytical method. Results: While most participants used words such as torment, very powerful, intense, and horrible to describe their pain, they experienced physical pain tolerable but not emotional one. Both group of patients (Turkmen and Azerbaijani) expressed their obligation and worries to their families during the course of illness. The existence of caring staff, expert doctor, assurance of recovery, and social support found to be the crucial factors for better cope with pain. Enduring, self-help, seeking help from others
S.P. Walker1 ° , C.L. Odendaal2 , K.G.F. Esterhuyse1 . 1 Department of Psychology, University of The Free State, 2 Pain Control Unit, Department of Anesthesiology, University of The Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa Aims: To gather biographical and pain data for a sample of South African patients visiting a specialist pain control unit, as well as to investigate the role of various psychosocial variables in this sample’s chronic pain experience. Subjects and Method: 325 adult outpatients from a chronic pain unit completed a biographical questionnaire, the West Haven-Yale Multidimensional Pain Inventory and various supplementary scales of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2. Diagnostic data were also gathered for the sample. Descriptive statistics were calculated for the sample and t-tests were used to compare the current sample’s mean scores on the measuring instruments to those of American normative samples. Results: The South African sample displayed elevated levels of perceived pain-related functional limitations, as well as increased frequency of psychopathology and emotional distress. However, the current sample also reported higher levels of social support and were inclined to be more socially and physically active when compared to individuals in other studies. Conclusion: Specific demographic and diagnostic tendencies appear evident in the current sample. Furthermore, South African chronic pain patients seem to exhibit similar, if more pronounced, psychosocial profiles to a comparable American sample. Various areas for potentially promising future research were also identified.