THE RELATIONSHIP OF COGNITIVE DISTORTION TO DEPRESSION IN CHRONIC PAIN - THE ROLE OF AMBIGUITY AND DESIRABILITY IN SELF-RATINGS

Objective: This study attempts to clarify the relationship between dep ression and the cognitions of chronic pain patients. It was hypothesiz ed that the ambiguity and desirability of self-rated traits would sign ificantly predict level of depression. Design: The study incorporated a correlational design in which subjects rated a number of traits as t hey pertained to themselves and completed questionnaires on negative a ffect and pain. Setting: Subjects were recruited from a Spine Program and the Orthopaedic Clinic, at a tertiary care facility at the Univers ity of Florida. Subjects: Fifty-eight chronic pain patients, two third s of whom had primary back pain, were recruited for the study. Outcome Measure(s): All subjects completed a Beck Depression Inventory and Mc Gill Pain Questionnaire, and rated themselves on 28 traits characteriz ed by the dimensions of desirability and ambiguity. Conclusions: A hie rarchical regression analysis indicated that the subjects' self-rating s on ambiguous negative traits significantlY Predicted level of depres sion. Conclusions: Patients with chronic pain are more likely to ackno wledge undesirable traits in themselves when they have higher levels o f depression when the pain level was controlled. These findings may ha ve important implications for the cognitive-behavioral treatment of ch ronic pain patients.