Low Self-Esteem in People living with Chronic pain
| Key things to know | What the evidence shows |
|---|---|
| How common is it? | NE |
| Is it more common among people living with chronic pain? | Chronic pain populations show lower self-esteem than healthy controls |
| Are people living with chronic pain at higher risk? | #N/A |
| How much higher is the risk? | Meta-analysis of 110 chronic-pain studies found significantly poorer self-esteem vs healthy controls; no single universal prevalence |
| How often can it be missed? | #N/A |
| Does it show up differently among people living with chronic pain? | Strong Yes |
| How might it look different? | Body feels unreliable; reduced activity/work/relationships can erode competence and identity |
| What commonly occurs alongside it? | #N/A |
| What can it be confused with? | Low self-efficacy about pain vs global low self-esteem; depression |
| Common screening tool | RSES — Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale |
| Separate screening tool for people living with chronic pain | Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire measures self-efficacy, not self-esteem |
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