Aims: To highlight the significant psychosocial risk factors affecting
pain experience in different population groups. To promote effective assessment and
intervention tailored to meet the specific psychosocial needs of people with chronic pain.
Rationale: Chronic pain is a significant problem in terms of personal impact and health service
burden. If better understood, psychosocial risk factors in chronic pain can be targeted in
assessment and intervention to alleviate some of the burden of pain. Summary: In the symposium,
we will present findings from a 1-year prospective study of chronic pain called the PRIME study
(Prevalence, Impact and Cost of Chronic Pain). Specifically, we will report on the psychosocial
risk factors for persistent pain and for onset of new pain and protective factors in those
whose chronic pain has resolved after one year. Then, we will report on an educational tool to
enhance knowledge of GP trainees regarding the future risk of disability, based on the
psychosocial `yellow flags’ among their patients presenting with chronic pain. The third paper
will explore the challenges of identifying pain in people with cognitive impairment, who may be
at increased risk of pain but have reduced ability to communicate their pain and seek support.
Data will be then presented from a prospective study on the psychological predictors of chronic
pain and depression following child-birth, where the participants were assessed both before and
after childbirth. In the final paper, we will present findings on the impact of chronic pain on
sexual functioning as well as psychological variables associated with worse outcomes. This
symposium therefore provides data on psychosocial variables in the pain experience of people
with a broad range of presenting clinical difficulties.
