Physical, Emotional, and Sexual Abuse Among Pain Patients and Health Care Providers: Implications for Psychologists in Multidisciplinary Pain Treatment Centers

This study surveyed 200 back pain patients and 64 health care providers/staff on their physical, emotional, and sexual abuse histories as victims or perpetrators. Depending on the type of abuse, 27%-36% of female patients, 6%-23% of male patients, and 33%-55% of female providers/staff were abuse victims. From 1%-12% of female patients, 3%-10% of male patients, and 3%-15% of providers/staff were abuse perpetrators, depending on the type of abuse. A startling 94% of abuse perpetrators were also abuse victims. Among those who were both victim and perpetrator, 81% of physical-abuse perpetrators, 60% of sexual-abuse perpetrators, and 41% of emotional-abuse perpetrators were previously or concurrently some type of abuse victim. The study discusses the implications for health care diagnoses and treatment decisions, caregiving by providers/staff, and the psychologist's role on multidisciplinary treatment teams.