Are We Any Closer to Understanding How Chronic Pain Develops? A Systematic Search and Critical Narrative Review of Existing Chronic Pain Vulnerability Models.

Delgado-Sanchez, Ariane, Brown, Christopher ORCID: 0000-0003-1414-2635, Sivan, Manoj, Talmi, Deborah, Charalambous, Christiana and Jones, Anthony KP (2023) Are We Any Closer to Understanding How Chronic Pain Develops? A Systematic Search and Critical Narrative Review of Existing Chronic Pain Vulnerability Models. Journal of pain research, 16. pp. 3145-3166.

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/jpr.s411628

Abstract

Identifying biopsychosocial factors underlying chronic pain vulnerability is essential for the design of preventative efforts. Multiple chronic pain vulnerability models exist, however, there is a lack of comprehensive evaluation of these models in the literature, potentially due to the lack of guidelines that specify the criteria by which these types of work should be assessed. In this work, we created evaluation criteria (based on the general goals of conceptual models), and we then used them to critically review the chronic pain vulnerability models available in the current peer-reviewed literature (identified through a systematic search). Particularly, we evaluated the models on the basis of conceptual clarity/specificity of measures, depth of description of aetiological and mechanistic factors, use of a whole system approach, and quality of the evidence associated with the models. We found nine conceptual models that have been explored in detail (eg, fear avoidance model, diathesis-stress model). These models excel at clarity and are supported mostly by self-report evidence of a psychological nature (anxiety sensitivity, pain catastrophizing, etc.), but provide little explanation of mechanistic and aetiological factors. In the future, models could be improved by complementing them with proposals from other models and exploring potential causal factors and mechanisms maintaining the condition. This task could be carried out through prospective cohort studies, and computational approaches, amongst others.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	vulnerability, evaluation, theory, conceptual model
Divisions:	Faculty of Health and Life Sciences Faculty of Health and Life Sciences > Institute of Population Health
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	28 Sep 2023 09:39
Last Modified:	04 Oct 2023 23:53
DOI:	10.2147/jpr.s411628
Open Access URL:	https://www.dovepress.com/are-we-any-closer-to-und...
Related URLs:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3173122