Journal of Anesthesiology and Pain

Background: There are many studies that examine the relationship between chronic pain and childhood traumatic experiences. However, there are little researches on pain and early maladaptive schemas and their relationship is not clear. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between chronic pain and early maladaptive schemas. Materials and Methods: In a descriptive-correlation and cross-sectional study, 100 patients with chronic pain of college students  were selected based on cut-off point of McGill pain questionnaire and were selected voluntarily as the sample. For data collecting, Early Maladaptive Schema Questionnaire-Short Form (YSQ-SF) and McGill Pain Questionnaire were used. Results: The results of the stepwise regression showed that emotional deprivation schema has the most ability in predicting of chronic pain and then subjugation schema is able to predict chronic pain. Subjugation schema and abandonment/instability schema are able to predict the emotional pain respectively. Emotional deprivation schema and emotional inhibition are able to predict the neuropathic pain respectively. As well as, Emotional deprivation schema is able to predict intermittent pain and Subjugation schema and emotional inhibition are able to predict variant pain. Conclusion: according to the results, it conclude that Emotional deprivation, Subjugation, abandonment/instability and emotional inhibition schema from three schema domains of disconnection and rejection, other-directedness and over vigilance/inhibition  are the important determinants of chronic pain. It is necessary to use schema therapy in pain management of patients with chronic pain.