No abstract

The role of psychosocial variables in the understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of pain has grown significantly in the past 30 years. Pain is no longer dichotomously thought of as either a purely psychological or physiological condition (mind–body dualism) but, rather, as a combination of biopsychosocial factors and experiences. The questions in this chapter consider the changing role of these psychosocial factors by exploring the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and other pain-related assessments and psychodiagnostics; cognitive–behavioral, acceptance and commitment, behavioral, and other psychological interventions for pain management; the role of stages of change in selection of interventions; and biopsychosocial theoretical models for understanding pain. The answers provide detailed and empirically supported explanations of the biopsychosocial impact of pain, along with references to texts commonly utilized in the training of anesthesiologists, so as to promote a better understanding of the associated materials.