Date of Award:

5-2026

Document Type:

Dissertation

Degree Name:

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department:

Psychology

Committee Chair(s)

Maria Kleinstäuber

Committee

Maria Kleinstäuber

Committee

Michael Twohig

Committee

Carol Greco

Committee

Michael Gerald

Committee

M. Scott DeBerard

Abstract

Chronic primary pain refers to physical pain that has no apparent organic cause, cannot be explained by another condition, and has associated psychological distress or functional impairment. Chronic primary pain is common and can significantly interfere with functioning, including occupational or social functioning. Research has shown that physicians struggle to treat this population, with many physicians reporting feeling unequipped and many patients feeling that their physicians are unhelpful and dismissive. Compassion may play a key role in improving these difficult interactions. The present study analyzed a sample of 99 participants with chronic pain and 100 healthy controls to learn more about compassion in the context of consultations for chronic primary pain. Six clinical vignettes, characterized by both high and low expressions of compassion, were presented to participants, after which patients rated the compassion level and were given the chance to provide open-ended feedback. The analysis both of the ratings and the open-ended feedback revealed consistent patterns of what participants believe constitutes compassionate care, including validation of pain, strong communication skills, and a clear way to explain and address their pain. This research was able to give voice to individuals experiencing chronic pain, highlight that pain patients do not differ much from healthy controls in their perceptions, and offer concrete strategies for physicians to consider implementing. Compassion appears to be a relevant and promising facet of clinical care for chronic pain, thus future studies should continue empirically exploring compassion.

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