Assessment of Emotional Awareness and Its Links to Clinical and Psychological Factors in Adults with Chronic Tailbone Pain Lasting Three Months or More

What this Trial Is About

This research aims to understand the presence and levels of alexithymia, a difficulty in identifying and describing emotions, in adults with chronic coccydynia, which is persistent tailbone pain lasting three months or more. The study explores how alexithymia relates to pain severity, duration, mood symptoms like anxiety and depression, childhood trauma history, and overall quality of life. It addresses the complex interaction between chronic pain and emotional factors to improve future multidisciplinary treatment approaches. Participants are adults diagnosed with chronic coccydynia who will be evaluated during their routine visits to a pain management clinic. The study uses validated self-report questionnaires including the Toronto Alexithymia Scale TAS-20 to assess alexithymia, the Visual Analog Scale VAS for pain intensity, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale HADS for emotional symptoms, the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire CTQ-33 for early adverse experiences, and the 12-Item Short Form Health Survey SF-12 for quality of life. Data collection is completed in a single session during the clinical interview. Participants provide written informed consent and complete the psychometric assessments just once during their clinic visit. Researchers measure alexithymia levels along with pain intensity, emotional health, trauma history, and quality of life. The findings aim to identify high-risk patients and support integration of psychosocial care in chronic pain management. The study is observational, with no experimental treatments, and will continue until March 2027.

Evaluation of Alexithymia and Its Relationship With Clinical Parameters in Patients With Chronic Coccydynia