Behavioral treatment of chronic pain: variables affecting treatment efficacy

Abstract

Behavioral approaches to pain management were efficacious in many instances but many of the variables indicating or contraindicating such treatment remain unspecified. While patients referred by both Disability and Medical Subspecialties showed improvement in pain report, affect and feelings of control, those patients referred by Disability improved reliably less, remain hospitalized longer and were reliably less complaint. These data can be understood within an operant conditioning conceptualization of illness behavior.