Pain Catastrophizing and Psychological Distress in Acute Abdominal Pain: A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Acute abdominal pain is a leading cause of emergency department admissions, yet the psychological factors shaping pain perception remain insufficiently explored. This study investigated associations between pain intensity and anxiety, depression, pain catastrophizing, and illness perception among adults with acute abdominal pain. This descriptive cross-sectional study included 268 adults admitted to the emergency department of a university hospital in western Türkiye. Data were collected using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ), Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (B-IPQ), and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Mean VAS score was 5.35 ± 1.56, indicating moderate pain intensity. Clinically significant anxiety (HADS-A ≥ 10) was observed in 30.2% of participants, and clinically significant depression (HADS-D ≥ 7) in 60.4%. Pain intensity showed significant positive correlations with anxiety, depression, and pain catastrophizing, and a significant negative correlation with illness perception (all p < 0.05). A substantial proportion of patients with acute abdominal pain experience clinically significant anxiety and depression. Pain catastrophizing was significantly associated with higher pain intensity. These findings underscore the importance of integrating psychological screening into emergency pain management.