Latent Profile of Pain Catastrophizing and Its Relationship to Emotional State in Patients with Ureteral Calculi: A Cross-Sectional.

Abstract

Introduction: Patients with ureteral calculi, especially after undergoing extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL), are particularly prone to pain catastrophizing due to residual stone fragments, discomfort from stents, fear of recurrence, and previous trauma from renal colic. This leads to a vicious cycle where pain and anxiety reinforce each other, significantly magnifying the overall pain experience.

Methods: Using the convenience sampling method, 260 patients with ureteral calculi were selected as research subjects. The General Information Questionnaire, the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), and the Positive and Negative Affect Scales (PANAS) were administered to the enrolled subjects. The data were then verified through logistic regression analysis and analysis of variance.

Results: The effective recovery rate was 91.54%. The pain catastrophizing of patients with ureteral calculi was divided into three latent profile categories: high, medium, and low pain catastrophizing groups. Significant differences were observed in living arrangements (χ²=9.998, P=0.007), duration of disease (χ²=14.540, P=0.006), frequency of pain (χ²=21.169, P < 0.001), self-rated anxiety (χ²=17.219, P=0.009), and social support (χ²=10.612, P=0.009) among the three categories of patients with ureteral calculi. Logistic regression analysis indicated that living arrangements, disease duration, frequency of pain, self-rated anxiety status, and social support are closely related to pain catastrophizing (P < 0.05). Pairwise comparison results showed that the level of positive emotional state in patients of the high pain catastrophizing group was significantly lower than that in the medium pain catastrophizing group (P < 0.01) and significantly lower than that in the low pain catastrophizing group (P < 0.01). Additionally, the level of positive emotional state in patients of the medium pain catastrophizing group was significantly lower than that in the low pain catastrophizing group (P < 0.01).

Conclusion: Pain catastrophizing among patients with ureteral calculi can be categorized into three distinct profiles, which are significantly influenced by factors such as living arrangements, duration of the disease, frequency of pain, self-rated anxiety levels, and social support. These factors are closely linked to the patients' emotional state.