Perfectionism, self-compassion, and general self-efficacy between those with and without chronic pain.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Cross-sectional comparative case-control survey design across two cohorts
PubMed 40886318 · doi:10.1080/08870446.2025.2552227
What was done
Two cross-sectional online survey studies compared psychological traits between adults with and without chronic pain. Measures included socially prescribed perfectionism (SPP), self-oriented perfectionism (SOP), self-compassion (SC), and general self-efficacy (SE). Study 1 surveyed 237 individuals with chronic pain and 237 pain-free controls. Study 2 surveyed 294 individuals with chronic pain and 278 pain-free controls.
What was found
The abstract reports directional statistical comparisons without providing numerical values, test statistics, or effect sizes. In Study 1, participants with chronic pain reported significantly higher SPP and lower SC compared to pain-free controls, with no significant differences in SOP or SE. In Study 2, participants with chronic pain reported significantly higher overall perfectionism and lower SC and SE. Across participants, SPP and SOP were elevated among those with low SC; SOP and SC correlated positively with SE, whereas SPP correlated negatively with SE.
Why it matters
These findings suggest that socially prescribed perfectionism and deficits in self-compassion are characteristic psychological features in chronic pain, highlighting potential targets for cognitive and self-compassion-based pain interventions.
Limits
The abstract provides no exact quantitative data, effect sizes, confidence intervals, or p-values. Both cohorts relied on self-selected online surveys with cross-sectional designs, preventing causal inferences between perfectionism traits and chronic pain. Specific chronic pain diagnoses, pain severity, duration, and demographic characteristics were not reported.
Cited by
- supports A study found that individuals with chronic pain scored significantly higher in perfectionism and lower in self-compassion compared to control groups.