Positive affect and pain ratings in persons with stroke.

Objective: To examine the association between positive affect at discharge from inpatient medical rehabilitation and pain ratings 3 months postdischarge in persons with stroke aged 50 or older. Design: A longitudinal study using information from the Stroke Recovery in Underserved Population (SRUP) data base. A 4-item positive affect scale and an 11-point visual analog pain scale were collected at discharge and at 3 months postdischarge. Participants: The study included 917 adults aged 50 and older with first-time stroke admitted to one of eleven inpatient medical rehabilitation facilities across the United States. Results: The mean age of the sample was 71 years, 51.0% were women, and 51.6% were married. One third of the sample reported pain and the mean positive affect score was 9.2 (range 0–12). Cumulative logit models showed higher positive affect scores at discharge were significantly associated with lower pain ratings (OR: 0.87, 95% CI 0.81, 0.92) at 3-month follow-up after adjusting for discharge pain ratings, negative affect, and demographic and clinical characteristics. Conclusion: High positive affect at discharge from inpatient medical rehabilitation was associated with lower pain ratings 3 months post discharge after controlling for pain and negative affect at discharge and clinical and demographic characteristics. The identification of links between positive affect and pain may contribute to a better understanding of functional recovery processes poststroke and the planning of therapeutic programs directed at the positive psychological strengths in elderly persons with stroke. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)