Abstract

The purpose of this dissertation was to explore fatalistic beliefs about pain among Hispanic and Non-Hispanic White (NHW) patients with chronic pain in order to assess the assertion that fatalism is a uniquely important cultural determinant of pain experience among Hispanics. Hypotheses were that across both Hispanic and NHW patients, lower socioeconomic status and lack of access to a usual source of healthcare for chronic pain, rather than ethnicity, would relate to greater pain fatalism. Secondly, it was hypothesized that greater pain fatalism would relate to higher pain severity and pain interference for both groups. Pearson product-moment correlations were used to test hypotheses in an inpatient sample of 30 Hispanic and 33 NHWs with a variety of chronic pain conditions. Results were that education was significantly correlated with pain fatalism only for Hispanic participants. More specifically, among Hispanics fewer years of education was significantly correlated with greater pain fatalism (r = -.52, p < .01). The relationship between less income and greater pain fatalism among Hispanic patients trended towards significance (r = -.34, p < .07). Greater pain fatalism was significantly related to greater pain-related functional impairment only for NHW patients (r = .35, p < .05). Results highlight the limitations of relying on stereotypic understandings of patient groups. At the same time, findings suggest that pain fatalism may have a different meaning and function across ethnic groups. The impact of pain fatalism on a patient’s functioning likely depends on the meaning of pain fatalism in relation to a patient’s cultural values, historical experiences, and situational context.

LLU Discipline

Clinical Psychology

Department

Psychology

School

School of Behavioral Health

First Advisor

David A. Vermeersch

Second Advisor

Elizabeth P. Cisneros

Third Advisor

Diane L. Scheiner

Fourth Advisor

Daniel A. Skenderian

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Degree Level

Ph.D.

Year Degree Awarded

2019

Date (Title Page)

9-2019

Language

English

Library of Congress/MESH Subject Headings

Chronic Pain -- psychology; White; Hispanic or Latino; Fate and fatalism

Type

Dissertation

Page Count

x, 49 p.

Digital Format

PDF

Digital Publisher

Loma Linda University Libraries

Usage Rights

This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights.

Collection

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Collection Website

http://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/

Repository

Loma Linda University. Del E. Webb Memorial Library. University Archives

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