| Abstract: |
Pain is one of the most prevalent and distressing symptoms encountered in palliative care settings. Effective pain management requires clear knowledge of the physiologic etiology of pain and an understanding of the relationship between pain and psychiatric symptoms. There is a bidirectional relationship between pain and mental health: uncontrolled pain and physical symptoms can produce behaviors that manifest like psychiatric illness, and untreated psychiatric disorders and psychological distress will amplify the pain experience. Practitioners of all types can integrate elements of mental health treatment into the care plan to optimize pain control and overall well-being of their patients. This chapter reviews the prevalence of pain in palliative populations, specific common pain syndromes, pain assessment strategies, and adjuvant pharmacologic interventions for pain in medically compromised patients. It includes a brief overview of some psychotherapeutic approaches to pain in this population. The chapter presents a detailed review of psychotherapy approaches in palliative care. The initial step in pain management is a comprehensive assessment of pain symptoms that includes measures of psychosocial distress. The variety of psychological techniques studied specifically around pain is wide and includes cognitive behavioral therapy and a number of other techniques that can be grouped into behavior therapies. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) |
