Chronic Pain and Family: A Clinical Perspective

Over the past two decades attention to family issues in relation to chronic pain has been on the rise. There has been a proliferation of research and clinical literature in the field since the first major review on this topic was conducted in 1982. However, no comprehensive review book has been published. Generally speaking, the role of the family in chronic pain literature has been reported from four perspectives: (1) family factors in the etiology of chronic pain; (2) role of spouse in the perpetuation of pain behaviors; (3) impact of chronic pain on family functioning and on the health of spouse and children; and (4) family therapy for these families.

The main thrust of this book will be the issues of impact on the family and therapy. The broader literature of family issues in medical disorders will be incorporated into the body of the book to allow the reader to become familiar with some of the common problems shared by medically ill and chronic pain families and many problems that appear to be specifically associated with chronic pain. The book will offer clinical guidelines in conducting family assessment and couple and family therapy for these patients. This book will not be simply an update, but will adopt a fresh approach to this complex clinical area. The book will have 10 chapters. Each chapter will report the current state of knowledge through a comprehensive review of the most recent literature, and discuss relevant clinical issues through extensive use of case illustrations. The chapters will be designed to bring the reader up to date on the literature as well as provide clinical guidelines for practice.