Background & Aims

Understanding variability in how individuals experience and respond to pain is crucial for developing improved, targeted, and personalized pain treatments. Sex and gender differences are widely recognised as significant sources of variation. The hypothetical model on which this study was based posits impulsiveness and anxiety sensitivity as diathesis variables that could explain individual differences in adjustment to pain (as measured by pain catastrophizing, pain acceptance, pain intensity, and impairment), and in prescription opioid misuse. We analysed the suitability of the hypothetical model for men and women with chronic noncancer pain (CNCP).

Methods

The sample was composed of 366 patients with CNCP (128 men and 238 women). Correlations and structural equation modelling analyses were used to test the hypothetical model.

Results

A strong association was found between both impulsivity/anxiety sensitivity and pain maladjustment/opioid misuse in individuals with CNCP. Moreover, the proposed model is also applicable to both men and women. Only slight differences were found in pain intensity levels between the two samples.

Conclusions

This multisample comparative study suggests that there are two psychological variables (impulsiveness and anxiety sensitivity) that increase the vulnerability of both men and women to the risk of opioids misuse and maladjustment to CNCP regardless of their sex.

References

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Baxley, C., Weinstock, J., Lustman, P. J., & Garner, A. A. (2019). The influence of anxiety sensitivity on opioid use disorder treatment outcomes. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, 27(1), 64. https://psycnet.apa.org/journals/pha/27/1/64/
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Presenting Author

Elena R. Serrano-Ibáñez

Poster Authors

Carmen Ramírez-Maestre, PhD

PhD

Universidad de Málaga, IBIMA Plataforma BIONAND, Malaga, Spain

Lead Author

E-mail

Victoria Barrado-Moreno

University of Malaga

Lead Author

E-mail

Rosa Esteve. PhD

University of Málaga

Lead Author

E-mail

Elena R. Serrano-Ibáñez

Universidad de Málaga

Lead Author

E-mail

Mariano Fernández-Baena

PhD

Unidad del Dolor. Hospital Regional de Málaga, Spain

Lead Author

E-mail

José Manuel González-Mesa

Hospital Clínico Universitario Virgen de la Victoria, Malaga, Spain

Lead Author

E-mail

M. Teresa Asenjo

Centro de Salud Cruz de Humilladero, Málaga, Spain

Lead Author

E-mail

Andrea Gutiérrez-Extremera

MSc

Universidad de Málaga. Spain

Lead Author

E-mail

Alicia Eva López-Martínez

Universidad de Málaga, IBIMA Plataforma BIONAND, Malaga, Spain

Lead Author

E-mail

Topics

  • Gender/Sex Differences