Highlights
- •High self-efficacy is associated with lower levels of pain and disability.
- •Depressive symptoms are negatively associated with self-efficacy.
- •Higher self-efficacy levels are associated with better physical functioning.
Abstract
Evidence suggests that self-efficacy can play an essential role as a protective factor
as well as a mediator in the relationship between pain and disability in people suffering
from chronic musculoskeletal pain. This study systematically reviewed and critically
appraised the role of self-efficacy on the prognosis of chronic musculoskeletal pain.
Study selection was on the basis of longitudinal studies testing the prognostic value
of self-efficacy in chronic musculoskeletal pain. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale, the
Cochrane Collaboration's tool, and the Methodological Index for Non-Randomized Studies
checklist were used to evaluate the risk of bias of included studies. A total of 27
articles met the inclusion criteria. Our results suggest that higher self-efficacy
levels are associated with greater physical functioning, physical activity participation,
health status, work status, satisfaction with the performance, efficacy beliefs, and
lower levels of pain intensity, disability, disease activity, depressive symptoms,
presence of tender points, fatigue, and presenteeism. Despite the low quality of evidence
of included studies, clinicians should be encouraged identify people with chronic
musculoskeletal pain who present low self-efficacy levels before prescribing any therapy.
It may help clinicians in their clinical decision-making and timely and specific consultations
with—or referral to—other health care providers.
Perspective
This article presents promising results about the role of self-efficacy on the prognosis
of chronic musculoskeletal pain. However, because of the low quality of evidence of
included studies, these findings should be taken with caution, and further research
is needed.
Key words
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: September 19, 2017
Footnotes
This report is registered at PROSPERO International prospective register of systematic reviews: CRD42016036366.All authors have made a substantial scientific contribution to the study and they.
Javier Martinez-Calderon, PhD student at University of Malaga, is supported by the University of Malaga through a predoctoral grant. The University of Malaga had no role in the study.
The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
Supplementary data accompanying this article are available online at www.jpain.org and www.sciencedirect.com.
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© 2017 by the American Pain Society
