Abstract
Studies in adults have shown that the effects of pain catastrophizing upon others
vary from positive to negative responses. There are no studies, however, on the impact
of catastrophizing in children upon responses of others. In addition, little is known
about why catastrohpizing varies with both positive and negative responses. Attachment
may be one important moderator explaining these variable relationships. The present
study in 1,332 school children investigated, by means of child-report questionnaires,
the relationships between pain catastrophizing and parental responses to pain, and
the moderating role of child attachment. Findings indicated that a child's pain catastrophizing
had a small but significant positive contribution in explaining child reports of both
positive and negative parental responses to pain. However, this relationship was moderated
by child attachment; for less securely attached children, higher levels of catastrophizing
were associated with more negative parental responses. On the contrary, for more securely
attached children, higher levels of catastrophizing were associated with more positive
parental responses. The present findings suggest that child attachment may partially
explain the variable results regarding the impact of pain catastrophizing upon others'
responses. The findings are discussed in terms of the function of pain catastrophizing
in interactional processes between parents and children.
Perspective
This study in schoolchildren found preliminary evidence for the moderating impact
of child attachment in understanding differential patterns of parental responses related
to the child's pain catastrophizing. Further exploration of the mechanisms relating
catastrophizing and attachment processes might contribute to a better comprehension
of the interpersonal nature of pain catastrophizing.
Key words
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: April 26, 2010
Accepted:
November 17,
2009
Received in revised form:
August 21,
2009
Received:
April 22,
2009
Footnotes
Supported by the Fund for Scientific Research–Flanders (Belgium) (FWO).
Identification
Copyright
© 2010 American Pain Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
