Psihosomatski in čustveni dejavniki pri kronični bolečini : magistrsko delo

Gregorič, Ana Nuša (author), Cvetek, Mateja (mentor)

Kronična bolečina je večdimenzionalna izkušnja. Poleg bioloških dejavnikov se prepletajo tudi psihološki in socialni procesi. Namen magistrskega dela je bil raziskati povezanost čustvenega distresa, simptomov po travmatični izkušnji in stopnje zaznane ogroženosti ob travmatični izkušnji z bolečinsko oviranostjo. Hkrati je bil namen tudi preveriti, kako so navedene spremenljivke povezane s posameznimi področji vsakdanjega življenja. Preverjali smo razlike v stopnji bolečinske oviranosti glede na spol in starostne skupine. Empirični del je temeljil na kvantitativni presečni in korelacijski raziskavi. V začetni vzorec je bilo vključenih 179 udeležencev, od tega 109 žensk in 70 moških. Podatki so bili zbrani z anonimnim spletnim vprašalnikom. Čustveni distres je bil merjen z vprašalnikom DASS-21, bolečinska oviranost z vprašalnikom BPI, simptomi po travmatični izkušnji z vprašalnikom PCL-5. Stopnja zaznane ogroženosti ob travmatični izkušnji je bila določena na podlagi sedmih postavk, ki so jih udeleženci ocenjevali na lestvici od 0 do 4. Skupna spremenljivka je bila oblikovana kot povprečje ocen vseh sedmih postavk, pri čemer je višja vrednost pomenila višjo povprečno stopnjo zaznane ogroženosti. Zaradi odstopanja ključnih spremenljivk od normalne porazdelitve so bile povezave preverjene s Spearmanovim koeficientom korelacije. Rezultati so pokazali statistično značilno pozitivno povezanost med čustvenim distresom in bolečinsko oviranostjo ter med simptomi po travmatični izkušnji in bolečinsko oviranostjo. Podrobnejše analize so pokazale, da so bile vse tri dimenzije DASS-21 in vse štiri skupine simptomov PCL-5 statistično značilno pozitivno povezane z bolečinsko oviranostjo. Med stopnjo zaznane ogroženosti ob travmatični izkušnji in skupno bolečinsko oviranostjo statistično značilna povezanost ni bila ugotovljena. Prav tako niso bile ugotovljene statistično značilne razlike v stopnji bolečinske oviranosti glede na spol ali med starostnimi skupinami. Čustveni distres in simptomi po travmatični izkušnji so bili statistično značilno pozitivno povezani z vsemi sedmimi proučevanimi področji bolečinske oviranosti, medtem ko je bila stopnja zaznane ogroženosti statistično značilno pozitivno povezana le z oviranostjo pri uživanju življenja. Bolečino v zadnjem tednu je navedlo 52 % udeležencev. Udeleženci, ki so v zadnjem tednu poročali o bolečini, so imeli v primerjavi z udeleženci brez bolečine višjo bolečinsko oviranost, višji čustveni distres, večjo izraženost simptomov po travmatični izkušnji in višjo stopnjo zaznane ogroženosti ob travmatični izkušnji. Med veljavnimi odgovori o mestu bolečine je bila najpogosteje navedena bolečina v več delih telesa. Najvišja povprečna bolečinska oviranost je bila ugotovljena pri uživanju življenja, sledila sta razpoloženje in običajno delo. Ugotovitve kažejo, da sta aktualni čustveni distres in izraženost simptomov po travmatični izkušnji statistično značilno povezana z bolečinsko oviranostjo, medtem ko višja stopnja zaznane ogroženosti ob travmatični izkušnji v proučevanem vzorcu ni bila statistično značilno povezana z večjo skupno bolečinsko oviranostjo. Rezultati podpirajo pomen celostnega biopsihosocialnega razumevanja kronične bolečine, pri njihovi interpretaciji pa je zaradi presečne korelacijske zasnove potrebna previdnost, saj ne omogočajo sklepanja o vzročnih odnosih.

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: kronična bolečina, bolečinska oviranost, čustveni distres, travmatična izkušnja, zaznana ogroženost, biopsihosocialni model, nevrologija bolečine
• Work type: Master's thesis/paper
• Typology: 2.09 - Master's Thesis
• Organization: TEOF - Theological Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Place of publishing: Ljubljana
• Publisher: [A. N. Gregorič]
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: VI, 89 str.
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-188466
• UDC: 159.93:616-009.7-036.1(043.2)
• COBISS.SI-ID: 293550851
• Publication date in RUL: 23.09.2026

Secondary language

• Language: English
• Title: Psihosomatic and emotional factors in chronic pain

Abstract

Chronic pain is a multidimensional experience involving biological, psychological, and social processes. The aim of this master's thesis was to examine the associations of emotional distress, symptoms following a traumatic experience, and the level of perceived threat during a traumatic experience with pain interference. The study also examined how these variables were associated with individual domains of everyday functioning and whether pain interference differed according to sex and age group. The empirical part of the study employed a quantitative, cross-sectional, correlational design. The initial sample consisted of 179 participants, including 109 women and 70 men. Data were collected using an anonymous online questionnaire. Emotional distress was assessed using the DASS-21, pain interference using the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), and symptoms following a traumatic experience using the PCL-5. The level of perceived threat during a traumatic experience was assessed using seven items rated on a scale from 0 to 4. The overall variable was calculated as the mean of all seven item ratings, with higher values indicating a higher average level of perceived threat. As the main study variables deviated from a normal distribution, associations were examined using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. The results showed statistically significant positive associations between emotional distress and pain interference and between symptoms following a traumatic experience and pain interference. More detailed analyses showed that all three DASS-21 dimensions and all four PCL-5 symptom clusters were significantly positively associated with pain interference. No statistically significant association was found between the level of perceived threat during a traumatic experience and overall pain interference. No statistically significant differences in pain interference were found according to sex or among age groups. Emotional distress and symptoms following a traumatic experience were significantly positively associated with all seven examined domains of pain interference, whereas the level of perceived threat was significantly positively associated only with interference with enjoyment of life. Pain during the previous week was reported by 52% of participants. Participants who reported pain during the previous week had higher pain interference, higher emotional distress, higher levels of symptoms following a traumatic experience, and a higher level of perceived threat than participants who did not report pain. Among valid responses regarding pain location, pain in multiple body areas was reported most frequently. The highest average pain interference was observed in enjoyment of life, followed by mood and normal work. The findings indicate that current emotional distress and symptoms following a traumatic experience are significantly associated with pain interference, whereas a higher level of perceived threat during a traumatic experience was not significantly associated with greater overall pain interference in the studied sample. The results support a comprehensive biopsychosocial understanding of chronic pain. However, due to the cross-sectional correlational design, the findings should be interpreted cautiously, as they do not allow conclusions regarding causal relationships.

• Keywords: chronic pain, pain interference, emotional distress, threat during a traumatic experience, symptoms following a traumatic experience, biopsychosocial model, neurobiology of pain