CATASTROPHIZING, DEPRESSION AND THE SENSORY, AFFECTIVE AND EVALUATIVEASPECTS OF CHRONIC PAIN

Research has shown that catastrophizing is related to increased depres sion and chronic pain. However, some researchers have questioned the u tility of catastrophizing as a separate construct, suggesting that it may just be a symptom of depression. The present investigation used pa th analysis to determine if catastrophizing was related to McGill Pain Questionnaire scores when controlling for depression as assessed by t he Beck Depression Inventory in a group of 85 chronic pain patients. A ccording to Fields' model of the relationship between pain and depress ion, we predicted that catastrophizing would mediate the relationship between depression and the evaluative and affective aspects of pain, b ut not the sensory aspect. The resulting path coefficients appear to s upport these predictions. The results suggest that catastrophizing is a separate construct which may impact on pain perception and treatment . The data also provide some support for Field's neurobiological model of the relationship between depression and pain.