Impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on patients with chronic pain in Germany: Associations with expectations and control beliefs

BACKGROUND: While the COVID‐19 pandemic is affecting people's well‐being worldwide, it may place a particularly high burden on people with chronic pain, as pain is known to be influenced by societal and psychological conditions. METHODS: In this observational study, we conducted telephone interviews with 196 patients with chronic pain to assess the impact of the pandemic on various aspects of their pain and everyday life. The initial interviews were conducted between April and May 2020 and were followed up by a second interview between August and December 2020. RESULTS: A substantial percentage of patients (39% at the first and 32% at the second interview) reported an increase in pain intensity due to the pandemic. Exploratory analyses revealed that patients who already suffered from greater pain and who experienced greater restrictions due to the pandemic were more likely to express pain worsening. Psychological factors such as negative expectations about the development of their pain and pain treatment and a high external locus of control were also associated with increases in pain. CONCLUSIONS: These findings illustrate the complexity of chronic pain, suggesting that not only the impact of the pandemic on various areas of life but also the severity of the pain‐symptoms themselves and psychological factors influence the course of patients' symptoms during the pandemic. SIGNIFICANCE: This study underlines the importance of psychosocial factors in chronic pain and demonstrates that the societal and psychological impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic can affect patients' pain and their ability to cope with it. The extent to which patients experience pain aggravation seems to interact with other psychological factors such as pain expectations and control beliefs.