Social distancing with chronic pain during COVID-19: A cross-sectional correlational analysis

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 17; no. 11; p. e0275680
• Main Authors: Donaghy, Bethany, Walker, Susannah C, Moore, David J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 21.11.2022; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Behavior; Biology and Life Sciences; Care and treatment; Causes of; Chronic Pain; Communicable Disease Control; Computer and Information Sciences; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; COVID-19 - epidemiology; Cross-Sectional Studies; Demographics; Disease control; Home environment; Humans; Likert scale; Loneliness; Management; Medicine and Health Sciences; Multiple regression analysis; Pain; Pandemics; Participation; Physical Distancing; Physical Sciences; Psychological aspects; Psychological factors; Questionnaires; Regression analysis; Research and Analysis Methods; Research design; Satisfaction; Social distancing; Social factors; Social interaction; Social networks; Social participation; Social Sciences; Socialization; Variables; United Kingdom
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0275680

Understanding of the role social factors play in chronic pain is growing, with more adaptive and satisfying social relationships helping pain management. During the COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing measures facilitated a naturalistic study of how changes to social interaction affected chronic pain intensity. In a cross-sectional correlational design, questionnaire data was collected over a 38-day period during the March 2020 COVID-19 lockdown, individuals with chronic pain were asked about their current pain experience as well as notable social factors which might relate to pain. Multiple regression analysis revealed social satisfaction significantly predicted pain experience, with a reduction in social participation during COVID-19 lockdowns increasing pain disability, and increased social satisfaction associated with decreasing pain intensity. While pain management often focuses on the functional aspects of pain alleviation, these findings suggest psychological aspects of socialising satisfaction also impact pain experience. Pain management strategies should consider ways to increase social satisfaction in individuals with chronic pain, perhaps by facilitating socialisation in the home using remote communication methods similar to those which became popular during the COVID-19 lockdown.