Partner Abuse Among Treatment-Seeking Individuals with Chronic Pain: Prevalence, Characteristics, and Association with Pain-Related Outcomes

Abstract

Abstract Objective This study assessed the prevalence of abusive partner relationships among individuals presenting for chronic pain treatment. In addition, this study examined the association between partner abuse histories and pain-relevant outcome variables. Design Cross-sectional. Setting This study took place at a specialty pain rehabilitation treatment center in the Midwestern United States. Subjects Participants in this study (N = 108) included adults (Mage = 45.73 [15.95] years) presenting for chronic pain treatment who consented to participate in a research study on stress, relationships, and chronic pain. Methods Participants completed self-report measures about relationship and abuse histories, physical and mental health, and demographic information. Participants were categorized into the following groups: no intimate partner violence (IPV), past IPV (>12 months ago), or current/recent IPV (≤12 months ago). Results Results indicated that over half (56%) of the sample endorsed a history of partner abuse and around one-third (29%) of the sample had experienced abuse within the past year. Psychological/emotional abuse was the most common form of abuse reported. Those with current/recent abuse histories reported greater impairment in pain interference, post-traumatic stress symptoms, mental health functioning, and pain self-efficacy compared with those who had not experienced abuse in the past year. Conclusions Partner abuse appears common among individuals with chronic pain and is associated with pain-relevant outcomes, warranting additional clinical attention and research in this area.