Citation

Richmond NL, Meyer ML, Hollowell AG, Isenberg EE, Domeier RM, Swor RA, Hendry PL, Peak DA, Rathlev NK, Jones JS, Lee DC, Jones CW, Platts-Mills TF. Clin. J. Pain 2018; 34(4): 366-374.

Affiliation

*University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Medicine †University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Department of Emergency Medicine ‡St. Joseph Mercy Health System, Department of Emergency Medicine §William Beaumont Hospital, Department of Emergency Medicine ∥University of Florida College of Medicine Jacksonville, Department of Emergency Medicine ¶Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Emergency Medicine #Baystate Medical Center, Department of Emergency Medicine **Spectrum Health - Butterworth Campus, Department of Emergency Medicine ††North Shore University Hospital, Department of Emergency Medicine ‡‡Cooper University Hospital, Department of Emergency Medicine §§Department of Emergency Medicine and Department of Anesthesiology, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/AJP.0000000000000545

PMID

28915155

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: Certain forms of social support have been shown to improve pain coping behaviors and pain outcomes in older adults with chronic pain, but little is known about the effect of social support on pain outcomes in older adults following trauma exposure.

METHODS: We analyzed data from a prospective longitudinal study of adults aged 65 years and older presenting to an emergency department (ED) after a motor vehicle collision (MVC) to characterize the relationship between perceived social support and MVC-related pain after trauma overall and by subgroups based on gender, depressive symptoms, and marital status.

RESULTS: In our sample (N=176), patients with low perceived social support had higher pain severity 6 weeks after MVC than patients with high perceived social support after adjustment for age, gender, race, and education (4.2 vs. 3.2, P=0.04). The protective effect of social support on pain severity at 6 weeks was more pronounced in men and in married individuals. Patients with low social support were less likely to receive an opioid prescription in the ED (15% vs. 32%, P=0.03), but there was no difference in opioid use at 6 weeks (22% vs. 20%, P=0.75).

DISCUSSION: Among older adults experiencing trauma, low perceived social support was associated with higher levels of pain at 6 weeks.

Language: en