Childhood trauma, PTSD/CPTSD and chronic pain: A systematic review

by Maria Karimov-Zwienenberg, Wilfried Symphor, William Peraud, Greg Décamps

Despite the growing body of literature on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and chronic pain comorbidity, studies taking into account the role of childhood exposure to traumatic and adverse events remains minimal. Additionally, it has been well established that survivors of childhood trauma may develop more complex reactions that extend beyond those observed in PTSD, typically categorized as complex trauma or CPTSD. Given the recent introduction of CPTSD within diagnostic nomenclature, the aim of the present study is to describe associations between childhood trauma in relation to PTSD/CPTSD and pain outcomes in adults with chronic pain.

Following PRSIMA guidelines, a systematic review was performed using the databases Pubmed, PsychInfo, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, and Web of Science. Articles in English or French that reported on childhood trauma, PTSD/CPTSD and pain outcomes in individuals with chronic pain were included. Titles and abstracts were screened by two authors independently and full texts were consequently evaluated and assessed on methodological quality using JBI checklist tools. Study design and sample characteristics, childhood trauma, PTSD/CPTSD, pain outcomes as well as author’s recommendations for scientific research and clinical practice were extracted for analyses.

Of the initial 295 search records, 13 studies were included in this review. Only four studies explicitly assessed links between trauma factors and pain symptoms in individuals with chronic pain. Findings highlight the long-term and complex impact of cumulative childhood maltreatment (e.g., abuse and neglect) on both PTSD/CPTSD and chronic pain outcomes in adulthood.

This review contributes to current conceptual models of PTSD and chronic pain comorbidity, while adding to the role of childhood trauma and CPTSD. The need for clinical and translational pain research is emphasized to further support specialized PTSD/CPTSD treatment as well as trauma-informed pain management in routine care.