More than just pain: Understanding pain in the geriatric population through social support and psychological factors

Öz

Aim: Chronic pain is a common condition among the elderly, impairing physical function, cognitive ability, and psychological well-being. Psychological resilience and perceived social support may influence pain perception and treatment response, but limited research has addressed these factors in older adults. To investigate the effects of psychological resilience and perceived social support on pain severity and psychological factors in elderly individuals with chronic pain. Material and Methods: A total of 112 elderly participants were included. Pain severity was measured using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Psychological variables were assessed using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), Geriatric Anxiety Scale (GAS), Psychological Resilience Scale for Adults (PRSA), and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Participants were classified as benefiting from treatment if they experienced ≥30% reduction in VAS scores. Statistical analyses included Chi-square test, Mann–Whitney U test, Spearman’s correlation, and binary logistic regression. Results: Of the participants, 81 (72.3%) benefited from treatment. Those who benefited had significantly lower GDS and GAS scores and higher PRSA scores (p < 0.001). Post-treatment VAS scores positively correlated with depression and anxiety, and negatively with psychological resilience. In logistic regression analysis, higher depression (p = 0.018) and perceived social support (p = 0.006) were associated with lower odds of treatment response, whereas higher psychological resilience (p = 0.010) predicted greater likelihood of improvement. Conclusion: Psychological resilience, depression, anxiety, and social support are significant factors in chronic pain management among the elderly. Integrating psychosocial approaches with conventional treatments may improve outcomes in this population.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Chronic pain
• elderly
• psychological resilience
• social support
• depression
• anxiety

Ağrıdan daha fazlası: Sosyal destek ve psikolojik faktörler bağlamında geriatrik popülasyonda ağrının anlaşılması

Öz

Amaç: Kronik ağrı yaşlılarda sık görülen bir durum olup fiziksel işlevi, bilişsel yetiyi ve psikolojik iyilik halini bozabilir. Psikolojik dayanıklılık ve algılanan sosyal destek, ağrı algısını ve tedavi yanıtını etkileyebilir; ancak bu faktörleri yaşlı yetişkinlerde ele alan araştırmalar sınırlıdır. Kronik ağrısı olan yaşlı bireylerde psikolojik dayanıklılık ve algılanan sosyal desteğin ağrı şiddeti ve psikolojik faktörler üzerindeki etkilerini incelemek. Gereç ve Yöntemler: Toplam 112 yaşlı katılımcı çalışmaya dâhil edildi. Ağrı şiddeti Görsel Analog Skala (VAS) ile ölçüldü. Psikolojik değişkenler Geriatrik Depresyon Ölçeği (GDÖ), Geriatrik Anksiyete Ölçeği (GAÖ), Yetişkinler için Psikolojik Dayanıklılık Ölçeği (Y-PDÖ) ve Çok Boyutlu Algılanan Sosyal Destek Ölçeği ile değerlendirildi. VAS skorlarında ≥%30 azalma yaşayan katılımcılar “tedaviden yararlandı” olarak sınıflandırıldı. İstatistiksel analizlerde Ki-kare testi, Mann–Whitney U testi, Spearman korelasyonu ve ikili lojistik regresyon kullanıldı. Bulgular: Katılımcıların 81’i (%72,3) tedaviden yarar gördü. Yararlananlarda GDÖ ve GAÖ puanları anlamlı düzeyde daha düşük, Y-PDÖ puanları ise daha yüksekti (p < 0,001). Tedavi sonrası VAS skorları depresyon ve anksiyete ile pozitif, psikolojik dayanıklılık ile negatif yönde koreleydi. Lojistik regresyon analizinde daha yüksek depresyon (p = 0,018) ve algılanan sosyal destek (p = 0,006) daha düşük tedavi yanıtı olasılığı ile ilişkiliyken, daha yüksek psikolojik dayanıklılık (p = 0,010) iyileşme olasılığını artırdı. Sonuç: Psikolojik dayanıklılık, depresyon, anksiyete ve sosyal destek, yaşlılarda kronik ağrı yönetiminde önemli faktörlerdir. Psikososyal yaklaşımların geleneksel tedavilerle entegrasyonu, bu popülasyonda sonuçları iyileştirebilir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Kronik ağrı
• yaşlı
• psikolojik dayanıklılık
• sosyal destek
• depresyon
• anksiyete

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