Exploring the associations between religious-spiritual and psychosocial factors, and disability, self-efficacy, and pain intensity in chronic shoulder pain

Musculoskelet Sci Pract. 2025 Oct 14;80:103435. doi: 10.1016/j.msksp.2025.103435. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Chronic shoulder pain is one of the most frequent pain syndromes worldwide and is influenced by several biopsychosocial variables. The aim of this study was to investigate whether religiosity, spirituality, optimism, negative and positive religious-spiritual coping, and depressive symptoms are associated with shoulder disability, self-efficacy, and pain intensity. This cross-sectional observational study recruited 75 adults with subacromial pain syndrome (ICD-10 M⁷⁵.1) with symptoms persisting for at least three months. Participants completed the following questionnaires: SPADI, PSEQ-10, LOT-R, DUREL, FACIT-Sp-12, SRCOPE-14, and PHQ-9. Multiple linear regression analyses showed that lower levels of religiosity and greater optimism were associated with reduced shoulder disability. Self-efficacy was negatively associated with religiosity, negative religious-spiritual coping, and depressive symptoms. Greater pain intensity was associated with higher use of negative religious-spiritual coping and depressive symptoms. This study highlights significant associations between religious-spiritual and psychosocial factors and clinical outcomes in individuals with chronic shoulder pain.

PMID:41115332 | DOI:10.1016/j.msksp.2025.103435