Structural Model of Pain Perception in Patients With Refractory Joint Pain Based on Personality Traits and Early Maladaptive Schemas: The Moderating Role of Social Support

The clinical course and sensory or emotional aspects of perceived pain are influenced by psychological and social factors. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the structural model of pain perception in patients with refractory joint pain based on personality traits and early maladaptive schemas with a moderating role of social support. In this descriptive-correlational study, 371 patients with chronic joint pain were selected by convenience sampling method and they answered self-reportedly to the NE0 Five-Factor Inventory of Costa & McCrae (NEO-FFI), Young Schema Questionnaire - Short Form (YSQ-SF), The MOS Social Support Survey of Sherbourne & Stewart (MOS-SSS) and Short‑Form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF‑MPQ). Data analysis was performed by path analysis method with using SPSS version 20 and Smart-PLS version 3. The results indicated a significant inverse correlation between the extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness, conscientiousness personality traits and all components of social support; and there was a significant positive correlation between the neuroticism personality trait and early maladaptive schemas with pain perception in patients with refractory chronic joint pain. Also, the moderating effect of social support was significant in path analysis of the relationship between the latent variables of the model. Physicians and mental health professionals can use these results for therapeutic purposes and to prevent the negative emotional state of patients with chronic pain in clinical and non-clinical decisions.