[Parent-child relations as a predisposition for psychogenic pain syndrome in adulthood. A controlled, retrospective study in relation to G. L. Engel's "pain-proneness"].

In a retrospective study on 151 chronic pain patients the relevance of childhood factors as described by G. L. Engel ("pain-proneness") are empirically investigated. All patients are studied by a structured interview developed for pain patients. Two groups were clinically differentiated and compared regarding childhood development: A psychogenic pain group (PP) without any somatic pathology (IASP-classification axis 5: 09; n = 75) and a group of chronic pain patients with somatic pathology (OP; n = 35). A "psychosomatic group" (IASP-axis 5: 07, e.g. migraine; n = 41) was excluded from further investigation. There are significant differences between PP and OP regarding the emotional quality of the relationship to both parents, physical abuse by the parents, a higher strain of both parents by the job (often a family enterprise), frequent aggressive conflicts between parents and their separation or divorce. Often a favorite toy or animal replaced the missing object. Pain or complaints with same localisation of significant others are significantly more frequent. No significant differences between the two pain groups are found as to loss of parent by death and the number of hospitalisation during childhood.