Relationship Between Preoperative Pain Beliefs and Postoperative Pain Severity and Recovery in Patients Undergoing Abdominal Surgery.

PURPOSE: To examine the relationships among preoperative pain beliefs, postoperative pain intensity, and recovery in patients undergoing abdominal surgery was the aim of this study. DESIGN: The study was conducted with a correlational design. METHODS: This study included 159 patients who underwent abdominal surgery at a university hospital in Ankara, Türkiye. Data were collected using the Pain Beliefs Questionnaire, the Pain Numeric Rating Scale, and the Postoperative Recovery Index. RESULTS: A statistically significant, negative, and weak correlation was found between psychological pain beliefs and mean pain intensity (r = -0.225; p = .004). Higher total pain belief scores (r = 0.167; p = .035) and stronger organic pain beliefs (r = 0.175; p = .027) were associated with greater recovery difficulty on postoperative day 2. In contrast, higher levels of psychological pain belief were associated with less recovery difficulty on postoperative day 30 (r = -0.191; p = .016). CONCLUSIONS: Pain beliefs appear to play a significant role in postoperative pain intensity and recovery among patients undergoing abdominal surgery. Psychological pain beliefs were associated with lower pain intensity and improved recovery outcomes, whereas stronger organic pain beliefs were associated with greater recovery difficulty. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Preoperative evaluation of patients' pain beliefs and interventions aimed at strengthening psychological pain beliefs may contribute to more effective postoperative pain management and enhanced recovery outcomes.