ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: A multi-dimensional approach was used to examine coping in chronic pain. The following hypotheses were tested: (a) patients who cope maladaptively also cope generally in a similar way; (b) patients' maladaptive coping is associated with childhood adversity. METHOD: Cross-sectional and retrospective data were collected from 68 consecutive patients (aged 18-70) at a pain clinic where their disease was non-systemic and the pain had lasted for at least three months. Sixty-one patients were interviewed using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R, and the Measure of Parental Care in Childhood. All patients completed questionnaires on their pain and personality. RESULTS: Two coping styles emerged from factor analysis. One was associated with chronicity, psychiatric morbidity, harm avoidance, immature defence style and reporting parental indifference. CONCLUSION: Patients may be predisposed to cope maladaptively after the experience of parental indifference in early life. Such coping is likely to reflect more general patterns.