Fear of pain in orofacial pain patients

In the present study, we examined whether fear of pain, dental fear, genera l indices of psychological distress, and self-reported stress levels differ ed between 40 orofacial pain patients and 40 gender and age matched control general dental patients. We also explored how fear of pain, as measured by the Fear of Pain Questionnaire-III (J Behav Med 21 (1998) 389), relates to established measures of psychological problems in our sample of patients. Finally, we examined whether fear of pain uniquely and significantly predic ts dental fear and psychological distress relative to other theoretically-r elevant psychological factors. Our results indicate that fear of slr cre pa in and anxiety-related distress, broadly defined, are particularly elevated in orofacial pain patients relative to matched controls. Additionally, fea r of pain shares a significant relation with dental fear but not other gene ral psychological symptomology, and uniquely and significantly predicts, de ntal fear relative to other theoretically-relevant variables. Taken togethe r, these data, in conjunction with other recent studies, suggest greater at tention be placed on understanding the fear of pain in orofacial pain patie nts and its relation to dental fear and anxiety. (C) 2000 International Ass ociation for the Study of Pain. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All righ ts reserved.