Psychological and personality differences between male and female veterans in an inpatient interdisciplinary chronic pain program

Abstract

It is projected that by 2033 the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) will have at least a 10% increase in service utilization among female veterans (Yano et al., 2010), with that number rising each year. Research in the general population has revealed mixed but important findings surrounding the experience and manifestation of chronic pain across gender; therefore, it is important to continue exploration of these characteristics in veteran samples to inform chronic pain treatment efforts in the VA system. The current study explored personality and psychological differences between male and female veterans in an inpatient pain rehabilitation program, using the restructured form of the MMPI-2 (MMPI-2-RF). Analyses revealed fewer psychological and personality differences in female and male veterans with chronic pain than expected, with both groups endorsing high levels of somatic and internalizing difficulties and similar psychological processes underlying pain outcomes. Gender differences demonstrating larger effect sizes are explored, and implications for chronic pain treatment are discussed.