COMPARISON OF PAIN CATASTROPHIZATION AND INTIMACY BETWEEN FEMALES WITH AND WITHOUT DYSPAREUNIA WHO PRESENTED TO PROFESSIONAL CLINICS FOR WOMEN HEALTH
Shahrzad Shafaei
M.A in General Psychology, Department of Psychology, Islamic Azad University, Sari Branch, Iran
shahrzad.shafaei@yahoo.com

Abstract

Objective: One of the clinical issues in patients is pain. Dyspareunia is a common disabling condition in females and affects two-thirds of women in their life. Dyspareunia is a psycho-physiologic state which for its diagnosis both physical and psychological factors should be considered. One of the most important improper confronting ways in presence of Dyspareunia is pain catastrophization. This study was done to compare pain catatsrophization between females with and without Dyspareunia who presented to governmental specialty clinics for women health in Sari, Iran.
Methods: Eighty-six females with age range of 18-48 years who suffered from Dyspareunia who presented to specialty clinic of Imam Khomeini Hospital and Tooba Specialty Clinic were selected randomly. Forty-three females were studied using Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) and Intimacy Scale (IS) Forty-three females who did not suffer from Dyspareunia and were matched to the first group regarding age and educational level and comprised control group.
Results: In comparing females with and without Dyspareunia, mean PCS was 30.51 (11.9) in patient group and 20.72 (11.31) in control group. Mean scores of mental rumination (2.74 (±0.98) in patients and 2.04 (±0.92) in controls), magnification (2.18 (±1.13) in patients and 1.67 (±1.12) in controls), helplessness (2.17 (±0.99) in patients and 1.26 ± (0.9) in controls) showed significant difference between the two studied groups. Among indices of pain catastrophizationb in patient group, mean scores of mental rumination, magnification, and helplessness were higher than in healthy control group (P< 0.05). While there was no significant difference in intimacy scores between patient and healthy groups, there also found no significant correlation between catastrophization and intimacy in healthy women (r = 126/0- ) and patients (r = 213/0- ) (P< 0.05).
Conclusion: This study showed that pain catastrophization and its indices were higher in females who suffered from Dyspareunia than in healthy ones. Regarding the high frequency of pain catastrophization, depression, and anxiety in females with Dyspareunia, the necessity to provide psychological interventions provided by psychiatrists and psychologists in specialty clinics for women health.