A Critical Analysis of Psychological Factors in the Management and Treatment of Chronic Pelvic Pain

Abstract

Chronic pelvic pain is a common presenting complaint in gynecology clinics. In a proportion of cases no pathology or sufficient pathology can be found to account for the level of complaint. This paper reviews the evidence on the psychological characteristics of patients presenting with chronic pelvic pain without obvious pathology. Methodological considerations are identified in order to guide future research. There is a need for prospective studies, in which women with pelvic pain of whatever etiology are evaluated, in order to provide contextual data and to identify predictors of treatment response.