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Feeling helpless actually makes chronic pain worse, a study has found.
Researchers have found that people who are mentally defeated – a medical term to describe a feeling of lost social identity – makes the pain itself feel worse and further reduces the person’s quality of life.
The study quizzed 137 adults living with chronic pain about their thoughts, feelings and behaviours three times a day for two weeks.
Results, published in the journal Pain, showed that increases in a person’s feelings of being mentally defeated consistently led to greater pain levels.
This meant that they were more likely to withdraw from social situations and stopped doing physical activity, which in turn made the chronic pain worse.
The researchers said this created a ‘self-reinforcing loop’ whereby someone feeling mentally defeated then has
more negative self-perceptions, which further increases their feeling of being mentally defeated.
Researchers found that the feeling of mental defeat was not related to the severity of the pain but instead was a distinct psychological process.
Researchers have found that people who are mentally defeated – a medical term to describe a feeling of lost social identity – makes the pain itself feel worse and further reduces the person’s quality of life
‘Pain is not something that can simply be taken away – it is someone’s reality,’ said lead researcher Nicole Tang, a professor of psychology at the University of Warwick.
‘But how people relate to their pain, and the meaning they attach to it, can add an extra layer of distress that we might be able to target with the right interventions.’
The findings come as the demand for treatment for chronic pain continues to grow. NHS England’s Health Survey for England found 26 per cent of adults report being in chronic pain of some kind.
And the Health Foundation estimates that 1.9million more adults could be living in chronic pain by 2040.
Experts say that the findings could pave the way for new treatment plans that could benefit millions of Britons.
‘By identifying when mental defeat spikes during the day, future digital tools, such as smartphone-based interventions, could deliver timely support to help individuals reframe negative self-perceptions, maintain activity and reduce suffering,’ said senior researcher Swaran Singh, a professor of social and community psychiatry at the University of Warwick.
‘This kind of “just-in-time” approach could offer more personalised support alongside existing treatments.’
