Catastrophizing, depression and expectancies for pain and emotional distress

The present research addressed the relation between catastrophizing, depres sion and response expectancies in anticipation of an experimental pain proc edure. One hundred and twenty undergraduates (48 men, 72 women) participate d in exchange for course credit. Prior to immersing one arm in a container of ice water, participants were asked to complete measures of catastrophizi ng and depression, and to estimate the degree of pain and emotional distres s they expected to experience. After a I-min immersion, participants rated their actual experience. Pain expectancies partially mediated the relation between catastrophizing and pain experience. Pain expectancies also mediate d the relation between depression and pain experience. Catastrophizing, but not depression, was associated with a tendency to underestimate pain and e motional distress. The implications of these findings for the conceptual di stinctiveness of catastrophizing and depression are discussed. Discussion a lso examines the potential implications of the present findings for pain ma nagement interventions. (C) 2001 International Association for the Study of Pain. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.