Types of convictions concerning coping with pain of the participants of territory defence activities

Abstract

Introduction: The complexity of physiological, emotional and behavioural reactions is connected with experiencing pain. A few components appear here: sensory, affective, motivational and cognitive. Relatively strongly fixed beliefs, concerning the possibilities of coping with this feeling, make an important cognitive effect in coping with pain. Knowledge about beliefs about controlling pain influence understanding of pain mechanisms. Material and methods: The research covered 48 hospitalised participants of territorial defence (33.94±9.54 years old; range: 21-56 years old), provided treatment in hospitals in Luck and in the region (Ukraine) with the use of standardised questionnaires within psychology of health and documents’ analysis. The patients differed with respect to diagnosis concerning the presence of neuropathic pain: confirmed neuropathic pain and not fully confirmed neuropathic pain, and the lack of pain of a neuropathic character. Results: In the case of pain of a probable, but not fully confirmed neuropathic pain, the value of conviction relying on one's own internal abilities to coping with pain amounted to 20.73 ± 2.35. The values of the indicators of the two remaining types of convictions analysed in the research are lower. The obtained results indicate that neuropathic pain differentiated beliefs referring to the possibility of coping with pain on one’s own (p<0.001). Conclusions: The obtained results indicate that neuropathic pain differentiated beliefs referring to the possibility of copying with pain on one’s own. No significant correlations have been noticed between the level of externalised and extinguished anger and certain types of beliefs concerning coping with pain.