PhD Scientific Days 2024

Poster Session G - Mental Health Sciences 2.

Psychological factors in predicting perioperative pain sensation

Text of the abstract

Introduction:
Preoperative psychogenic factors (anxiety, depression, pain-related expectations) show a strong correlation with analgesic requirements. These factors, however, show a high variability over time. The majority of studies does not aim to investigate personality traits that are temporally stable. Affective temperaments (depressive, hyperactive, cyclothymic, irritable and anxious) are genetically determined personality components determining emotional reactibility and associated behavioral and cognitive factors, and also manifesting stability throughout lifetime. In recent years, affective temperaments have been demonstrated to be associated to prevalence, course and treatment of several somatic conditions including pain-related ones.

Aims:
The aim of our study is to investigate the association between affective temperaments and analgesic needs in the perioperative period including the first postoperative week.

Methods:
We plan to enroll 350 women awaiting gynecological surgery, and follow them with online assessment tools over the course of their first postoperative week. The patients included are adult women undergoing non-oncological, non-obstetrical abdominal surgery, with standardized general balanced anesthesia. Psychological evalutation will be carried out 1. 5-7 days before surgery (affective temperaments, anxiety, depression, pain catastrophizing), 2. 24 hours after surgery and 3. 7 days after surgery (pain experienced, anxiety, depression, current pain catastrophizing, length of stay, quality of life). Psychological tools include the TEMPS-A, STAI-S and T, PHQ9, PCS and BPI. We also collect several intraoperative parameters.
Evaluation performed using MANOVA, linear and logistic regression models, as well as path analysis.

Results:
We have started data collection in March 2024. As of today we have enrolled 70 women. Preliminary results will be available by July 2024.

Conclusion:
Reducing perioperative pain has a positive impact on the efficiency of medical treatment. The results of our study could help identify preoperative patient groups who are more sensitive to perioperative pain management and requiring different approaches. The identified subgroups would benefit from perioperative psychological assistance, either through the involvement of a psychologist or self-soothing techniques.

Funding:
Our research is not funded.