Parents who catastrophize about their child's pain prioritize attempts to control pain
Pain, 06/15/2012

Caes L et al. Pain control was more of a priority for those high in catastrophic thinking when the pain was more acute. In contrast, parental catastrophic thoughts had no effect on the pain control strategy favored by parents in situations with longer–lasting pain. Furthermore, independently of parental catastrophic thoughts, heightened priority for pain control was observed in highly intense and chronic pain situations. Moreover, in highly intense pain, priority for pain control was stronger for mothers compared with fathers. Theoretical and clinical implications and directions for future research are discussed.