The impact of chronic pain on the self-concept

Compared self-concepts of three groups, medical patients, chronic low back pain patients and chronic head pain patients (N = 60) to determine (1) whether chronic pain patients have self-perceptions that differ from other medical patients; (2) whether changes in self-perception are limited to physical attributes and capacities; and finally (3) whether persons who suffer different types of chronic pain would have differing self-concepts. Significantly lower self-concepts were obtained from groups of head pain and low back pain patients. Self-concept patterns for the two pain groups were quite similar with the exception of two self-concept components that were significantly lower for the head pain group. Differences were explained in terms of loss of many normal functions and disruption of normal life-styles. Implications for treatment of pain patients and for training of health professionals were discussed.