The role of positive traits and pain catastrophizing in pain perception.

A variety of biological, psychological, and social factors interact to influence pain. This article focuses on two distinct, but connected, psychological factors--positive personality traits and pain catastrophizing--and their link with pain perception in healthy and clinical populations. First, we review the protective link between positive personality traits, such as optimism, hope, and self-efficacy, and pain perception. Second, we provide evidence of the well-established relationship between pain catastrophizing and pain perception and other related outcomes. Third, we outline the inverse relationship between positive traits and pain catastrophizing, and offer a model that explains the inverse link between positive traits and pain perception through lower pain catastrophizing. Finally, we discuss clinical practice recommendations based on the aforementioned relationships.