A new study focusing on the psychology of chronic pain recently revealed that intentionally training certain character strengths could possibly help patients reduce or overcome their chronic pain condition.
The desire to learn more about this possible connection was driven by the idea that chronic pain can suck the joy and satisfaction out of many of life’s pursuits. Researchers posited that if chronic pain can influence our quality of life and some of our daily character traits, the reverse may also be true, in that focusing on developing character traits that define us could in fact help a person gain more control over their chronic pain.
While that may sound a bit far fetched, when you break it down with some examples, the theory seems to hold some water. For example, someone who heavily relies on humor or a very honest person may be better able to deal with the totality of their chronic pain condition than someone without those personality traits because of the psychology that drives these character traits.
Which Character Traits Help With Chronic Pain Control?
To get a better understanding of which character traits may have more influence on a person’s ability to control their chronic pain condition, researchers asked 491 chronic pain patients to complete a survey about their pain severity, how it impacts their physical function and their self-efficacy (their ability to engage in normal daily activities despite pain). Additionally, patients were asked to complete a self-assessment of their character strengths, which included 24 different character strengths as defined by a previous study. Those 24 different character strengths were:
- Creativity
- Curiosity
- Judgment
- Love of learning
- Perspective
- Bravery
- Perseverance
- Honest
- Zest
- Love
- Kindness
- Social Intelligence
- Teamwork
- Fairness
- Leadership
- Forgiveness
- Humility
- Prudence
- Self-regulation
- Appreciation
- Gratitude
- Hope
- Humor
- Spirituality
Interestingly, some character traits were associated with greater pain self-efficacy in the face of higher pain severity and functional loss than others. The three best traits for chronic pain self-efficacy were:
- Zest
- Perseverance
- Hope
While the three lowest were:
- Appreciation
- Creativity
- Leadership
So, on that note, researchers pondered if working to improve one’s “zest” could in turn help them better manage their chronic pain condition. Zest, as the researchers write, “is characterized by a sense of vitality and ‘aliveness’ in their own individual lives, as well as having the ability to invigorate and energize the people around them.”
During a two-week intervention, 81 participants were asked to either work on cultivating their zest for life or another neutral condition and given instructions on how they could improve these characteristics. Both groups had similar pain levels at the beginning of the two weeks, and both groups reported less pain and functional improvement by the end of the study. However, only the patients in the zest group reported an increase in pain self-efficacy.
While the research is small and limited, it certainly is interesting. If you’re working to combat a chronic pain condition, follow the traditional methods but also work on improving your zest for life. It’s easier said than done, but by trying to become more enthusiastic for life and using your energy to the fullest degree, you may notice an improvement in your self-efficacy as it relates to your pain condition!
For more information, or for help with your chronic pain condition, reach out to Dr. Cohn’s office today.