Psychological factors and chronic pelvic pain in women: a comparative study with women with chronic migraine headaches.

Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) is often attributed to psychogenic causation. To determine if women with CPP possess a unique psychological profile, this study examined the comparative pain experience, psychological functioning, and marital/sexual satisfaction of women with either CPP or chronic migraine headache (CH). Patients with CPP reported greater dissatisfaction with their marriage and greater sexual dysfunction.

Psychological factors in chronic pelvic pain due to endometriosis: a comparative study.

Background/aims: This study compared women suffering chronic pelvic pain (CPP) secondary to endometriosis (n = 30) with women experiencing CPP due to either myofascial abdominal/pelvic pain (n = 70) or pelvic adhesions (n = 38) to determine if there are specific psychological variables uniquely associated with endometriosis.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of 138 women drawn from a convenience sample of 192 consecutive women with CPP presenting for evaluation to a university hospital chronic pain clinic. Subjects were categorized into groups based on their CPP diagnosis.

Patient beliefs about pain diagnosis in chronic pelvic pain: relation to pain experience, mood and disability.

Objective: To examine the contribution of pain beliefs (fear regarding pain diagnosis) in understanding pain experience, mood, affective distress, marital interactions surrounding pain, and functional disability among women with chronic pelvic pain (CPP).

Study Design: One hundred forty-nine consecutive females with CPP presenting to a university hospital Chronic Pain Clinic completed self-report inventories assessing demographic status, pain-related morbidity, depressive symptoms and global affective distress. Pain beliefs were assessed by subject response to the question "Do you think your pain is due to something more serious or different from what doctors have told you?" and subjects were categorized into "Yes More Serious" (n = 77) and "Not More Serious" (n = 72) groups.