Psychosocial assessment of pain in patients having rheumatic diseases

This article provides an overview of psychosocial approaches to assessing factors relevant to the understanding and management of arthritis pain. The article is divided into two major sections. Section one provides a conceptual background that highlights the role that psychosocial factors play in the gain experience. Section two briefly describes and evaluates methods used to assess psychological factors (e.g., pain behavior, pain coping, and self-efficacy) and social factors (e.g., social support, marital adjustment) that can affect adjustment to persistent pain.