The Moderating Role of Self-Efficacy on the Relationship Between Alexithymia and Severity of Pain in Chronic Pain Patients

This study investigated the moderating role of self-efficacy on the relationship between alexithymia and experience of pain (pain severity and pain disability) in chronic pain patients. One hundred chronic musculoskeletal pain patients (67 women, 33 men) participated in this research. All participants were asked to complete Farsi version of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), the Chronic Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (CPSEQ), Visual Analogue Scale for Pain Severity (VAS), and Pain Disability Questionnaire (PDQ). The results showed that self-efficacy decreased the effect of alexithymia on experience of severity and disability of pain. It can be concluded that the relationship between alexithymia and experience of pain in chronic pain patients was influenced and moderated by self-efficacy.