Reviewing Psychological Practices to Enhance the Psychological Resilience Process for Individuals with Chronic Pain: Clinical Implications and Neurocognitive Findings.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Psychological practices have emerged as promising treatments for coping with chronic pain (CP) as a psychological resilience (PR) enhancer mechanism. These practices contain cognitive, behavioral and emotional modulation of pain. In this regard, classical cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and current trends in CBT, including acceptance and commitment therapy and mindfulness-based practices may demonstrate significant improvements in pain perception, physical functioning, catastrophic beliefs and fear-avoidance behaviors among patients with CP. However, understanding the neurocognitive mechanisms of these practices includes challenges, such as the need to identify associated brain regions with PR to CP. Our review explored psychological practices to enhance PR as a dynamic neurocognitive process (e.g., changing affect) rather than only being a static trait.

RECENT FINDINGS

Psychological practices have promising results in improving positive outcomes for CP sufferers. To illustrate, along with superior PR scores, higher positive affect, adaptive pain beliefs, and physical functioning were reported after these practices. Conversely, lower pain catastrophizing, pain-related fear-avoidance, and self-reported pain ratings were seen as PR factors. Moreover, enhanced PR process may be associated with increased activity of the brain regions, including prefrontal cortex and orbitofrontal cortex, whereas diminished activity, reactivity, and functional connectivity in the anterior cingulate cortex, amygdala and insula. This review discusses the neurocognitive modulation of CP through psychological practices and highlights the role of enhancing the PR process for individuals with CP. As the field continues to evolve, understanding the importance of psychological practices to develop PR-related factors is crucial for increasing pain management outcomes.