Childhood
adversities and past painful experiences are mediators of adult fears. The
purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of childhood trauma and
past painful experiences on the fear of pain, as expressed through their Fear
of Pain Questionnaire III. Eight hundred and thirty-one healthy individuals
(262 men and 569 women) from the general population, aged 36.35 (12.86) years
old, were enrolled in the study. They were asked to fill out the Fear of Pain
Questionnaire (FPQ-III) and to report any adverse events in their childhood. A
score of childhood adversities was created by summing the stressors. The
presence and intensity of painful experiences were significantly associated
with the total FPQ score. Participants who had at least one painful experience
or a total pain experience score above its median value differed statistically
significantly in total FPQ score when compared with their counterparts without
any childhood adversity or lower adversities (p<0.05). The FPQ total score
was significantly correlated with the adversities score. This study underlines
the associations of common childhood adversities with the fear of pain,
quantifying their effect. A higher FPQ score mirrors a higher childhood
stressors’ burden and informs the clinician about the adult’s psychological
background, thus allowing prompt and proper interventions.
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