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The following is a summary of “Impact of stressful life events on centralized pain and pain intensity: A combined model examining the mediating roles of anger and perceived injustice among racially minoritized adults with chronic pain,” published in the July 2024 issue of Pain by Jin et al.

Stressful life events are closely linked to chronic pain, but the psychological pathways connecting adversity and pain require further study.

Researchers conducted a retrospective study exploring the relationship between stressful life events and pain, focusing on anger and perceived injustice as potential mediators in a racially diverse population.

They involved 673 adults with self-reported chronic pain, including Black (n = 258), Latine (n = 254), and Asian American (n = 161) participants, and examined the impact of stressful life events on centralized pain symptoms and pain intensity. Mediation models assessed the roles of anger and perceived injustice.

The result showed a significant positive relationship between stressful life events and centralized pain symptoms (b = 2.53, P<.001) and pain intensity (b = 0.20, P<.001). Anger (b = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.67, 1.17) and perceived injustice (b = 0.86, 95% CI = 0.64, 1.11) partially mediated the effect on centralized pain symptoms. Additionally, anger (b = 0.05, 95% CI = 0.03, 0.08) and perceived injustice (b = 0.11, 95% CI = 0.08, 0.14) fully mediated the impact on pain intensity. Combined psychosocial factors explained 51% of the variance in centralized pain symptoms and 26% in pain intensity.

Investigators concluded that anger and perceived injustice were key psychosocial factors associated with pain outcomes, warranting further research into the roles of individuals facing life adversity.

Source: jpain.org/article/S1526-5900(24)00592-3/abstract#%20