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Abstract
<p class="first" id="P1">Pain behavior plays a key role in many theoretical models
of pain, with many of these
models conceptualizing pain behaviors as potentially detrimental to patient functioning.
We propose that a certain class of behaviors—talking to others about one’s pain-related
distress (i.e., emotional disclosures of pain-related distress)—can be distinguished
from other behaviors traditionally conceptualized as pain behaviors. Emotional disclosures
of pain-related distress include verbally disclosing one’s anger, sadness, or worry
about the pain and its impact to another person. In this article, conceptual and empirical
evidence is offered to indicate that these verbal behaviors are distinct from other
pain behaviors such as bodily expressions and motions, facial expressions, pain ratings,
and paraverbal expressions. Emotion and relationships models are also applied to assert
that disclosures of pain-related distress may have functions that are not shared with
other pain behaviors. In addition to an expanded conceptualization of these verbal
expressions of distress about pain, further directions are provided to spur new research
as well as clinical recommendations concerning appropriate responses to these behaviors.
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<h5 class="section-title" id="d6446395e120">Perspective</h5>
<p id="P2">This article offers an expanded conceptualization of one type of pain behavior—emotional
disclosure of pain-related distress—by demonstrating the theoretical and empirical
distinctions between this behavior and other pain behaviors. This perspective may
enhance clinical work and research aimed at identifying adaptive responses to these
behaviors to improve pain adjustment.
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