Abstract

Objective: It is known that a complex problem is sexual life in patients with chronic pain. Also physicians may ignore this point. In this study, we aimed to compare the clinical features, sexual life properties and personality traits of patients with Chronic Pain Disorder (CPD) and healthy controls. We hypothesized that Harm Avoidance (HA) scores would be higher and predictive of compared to healthy controls also sexual dysfunction would found in patient group.

Methods: This study was conducted in outpatients with CPD who presented to the Bagcilar Training and Research Hospital’s Outpatient Psychiatry Clinic. The sample was comprised of 60 outpatients (53 women, 7 men) who complained of chronic pain for at least 3 months and were not under any medication treatments. The control group comprised of 60 healthy controls (49 women, 11 men). Semi-structured sociodemographic data form, Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and Arizona Sexual Experiences Scale (ASEX) were administered to the participants. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS for Windows, Version 23.0.

Results: In CPD patients ASEX scores were significantly higher than healthy controls. It demostrates sexual dysfunction presenting in CPD group. In terms of gender; female ASEX scores were significantly higher than male ones. VAS scores did not correlate to ASEX scores in all of participants. Explatory excitability subscale of Novelty Seeking, Total Cooperativeness and Total Reward Dependence scores were changed negatively correlation with ASEX scores; Harm Avoidance, persistanceness, Self Directedness, Self Trancendance and their subscales did not correlate to ASEX scores. ASEX scores, positively corraleted to Attachment and Sentimentality subsclaes of Reward Dependence. BDI scores changed positively with BAI, ASEX,VAS scores; BAI scores also corraleted positively with VAS and ASEX scores. Helpfulness vs Unhelpfulness and Compassion vs Revengefulness
subscales of cooperativeness in patients with CPD positively corraleted to ASEX scores.

Conclusion: Temperament and character traits and sexual life properties of the CPD patients were significantly different from the healthy control subjects. Explatory excitability subscale of NS and C is negative predictor of Sexual Dysfunction. Also Helpfulness vs Unhelpfulness and Compassion vs Revengefulness subscale of C is positive predictor of Sexual Dysfunction.

Key words: chronic pain, temperament, sexual dysfunction