Subscribe
The latest psychology and neuroscience discoveries.
My Account
  • Mental Health
  • Social Psychology
  • Cognitive Science
  • Psychopharmacology
  • Neuroscience
  • About
No Result
View All Result
PsyPost
PsyPost
No Result
View All Result
Home Exclusive Mental Health Depression

Having your pain invalidated is associated with increased shame and, in turn, an increased risk of depression

by Beth Ellwood
February 23, 2022
in Depression
(Image by press ???? and ⭐ from Pixabay)

(Image by press ???? and ⭐ from Pixabay)

Share on TwitterShare on Facebook
Stay on top of the latest psychology findings: Subscribe now!

Findings from the journal Frontiers in Psychology shed light on the link between pain invalidation and risk of depression. The study found that participants who felt invalidated in their pain experienced greater shame, and in turn, greater symptoms of depression.

Pain is a subjective experience that is imperceptible to others. Because of this, people who are experiencing pain often have their pain downplayed by others around them, including nurses and doctors. This invalidation can show up in a few different ways. In some cases, an outsider acknowledges a person’s pain experience but does not believe that it requires support, and in other cases, an outsider might not believe that the pain exists at all.

Importantly, having one’s pain invalidated can lead to stigmatization and may even exacerbate pain severity. Pain invalidation has also been associated with a range of poor mental health outcomes. In particular, pain invalidation has been repeatedly tied to depression, and study authors Brandon L. Boring and his team say this may have something to do with shame.

Shame is a feeling of inadequacy, self-consciousness, and low self-worth. Pain on its own has been associated with shame, and Boring and colleagues suggest that these feelings may be intensified when pain is being dismissed by others. The researchers conducted a study to explore the relationship between pain invalidation, depression, and shame among a sample of college students.

A total of 478 students were involved in the study. Most (328) participants were female, 139 were male, 10 did not disclose their gender, and 1 identified as “other”. None of the students were currently suffering from chronic pain. The participants answered questionnaires that assessed pain invalidation from three domains — friends, family, and medical professionals. The questions prompted students to consider how each of these types of people had reacted to the student’s pain experiences in the past year. The respondents also completed assessments of shame and depression.

The prevalence of pain invalidation was remarkably high among the students. Nearly all participants (99.4%) reported at least some pain invalidation from family members. Similarly, 98.9% reported pain invalidation from friends, and 95.5% reported pain invalidation from doctors. As expected, pain invalidation from any of these sources was significantly associated with both shame and depression.

Shame fully mediated the relationships between each source of pain invalidation and depression. In other words, having one’s pain invalidated by others — whether by friends, family, or medical professionals — predicted greater feelings of shame, and in turn, elevated symptoms of depression. Notably, these effects were consistent among men and women, except for pain invalidation from doctors which was trending in the same direction but not significant among men.

These findings suggest that shame is a crucial mechanism through which pain invalidation encourages depression. “When other people invalidate a person’s pain, they may communicate that the person in pain is not worthy of empathy or support,” the researchers explain. “This in turn may cause the person suffering from pain to question their own subjective state and their value as a human, creating feelings of shame, and inadequacy.” These feelings, combined with the continued experience of pain, may then lead to depression.

The findings are especially troubling, the study authors say, given evidence that depression increases the likelihood that acute pain becomes chronic pain. They say their study is unique in that it focused on acute pain that was not experimentally induced in the lab, revealing that even healthy young adults experience pain invalidation related to acute pain. However, in order to extend the clinical implications, a similar study should be conducted among people experiencing chronic pain.

The researchers discuss ways for people to improve their reactions to others experiencing pain. “Listening to the pain reported by patients and validating their subjective pain experience may foster interpersonal trust between patients and providers and improve pain outcomes,” Boring and his colleagues say. “Furthermore, broader cultural understanding about the subjective nature of pain and the importance of social support for those experiencing pain may protect against the mutually reinforcing depression-pain cycle.”

The study, “Shame Mediates the Relationship Between Pain Invalidation and Depression”, was authored by Brandon L. Boring, Kaitlyn T. Walsh, Namrata Nanavaty, and Vani A. Mathur.

TweetSendScanShareSendPin22ShareShareShareShareShare

RELATED

Caffeine use prevents stress-induced impairment of spatial memory
Caffeine

Caffeine may help prevent depression-like symptoms by protecting the gut-brain connection

July 15, 2025

Caffeine may help prevent stress-induced depression-like symptoms in mice by protecting gut health and reducing inflammation. While more research is needed, the findings raise the possibility that everyday dietary habits could play a meaningful role in mental health

Read moreDetails
People do not necessarily become happier at older age, study finds
Depression

The triglyceride-glucose index: Can it predict depression risk in the elderly?

July 14, 2025

Older adults with higher triglyceride-glucose levels were not more likely to develop depression over time after accounting for health and lifestyle factors, suggesting this metabolic marker does not predict future depression in this age group.

Read moreDetails
New research shows the psychological toll of the 2024 presidential election
Anxiety

New research shows the psychological toll of the 2024 presidential election

July 13, 2025

Among young adults, stress from election news was linked to higher risks of depression and anxiety, while pre-election anticipatory stress was linked to depression only. Stress about the election outcome was not associated with either condition.

Read moreDetails
Liberals and conservatives live differently — but people think the divide is even bigger than it is
Depression

Low sexual activity, body shape, and mood may combine in ways that shorten lives, new study suggests

July 12, 2025

A large American survey finds that adults who have sex fewer than a dozen times a year die sooner when extra abdominal fat coincides with depression, hinting that mood and body shape can combine in a dangerous feedback loop.

Read moreDetails
Ketamine repairs reward circuitry to reverse stress-induced anhedonia
Depression

Ketamine repairs reward circuitry to reverse stress-induced anhedonia

July 9, 2025

New research shows a single low, non-anesthetic dose of ketamine revived pleasure seeking in chronically stressed mice by restoring weakened excitatory synapses onto nucleus accumbens dopamine D1 neurons, pinpointing a circuit mechanism for the drug’s rapid antidepressant effect.

Read moreDetails
Psychedelic drug DOI activates specific brain neurons to ease anxiety
Depression

Choline imbalance in the brain linked to with cognitive symptoms in young depression patients

July 8, 2025

Researchers have identified metabolic differences in the brains of young adults with depression who also experience cognitive impairment. The study sheds light on how chemical imbalances in key brain regions may contribute to thinking and memory problems in depression.

Read moreDetails
Study links internalized racism to increased suicidal thoughts in Asian Americans
Depression

Breakfast habits are associated with depressive symptoms, study finds

July 6, 2025

Researchers found that young people in Hong Kong who regularly skip breakfast reported more depressive symptoms and lower attention control. The findings point to a subtle link between morning habits and emotional well-being.

Read moreDetails
Feminine advantage in harm perception obscures male victimization
Depression

People with depression face significantly greater social and health-related challenges

July 5, 2025

New findings reveal that depression is linked to both greater social hardship and increased frailty. People with depression were significantly more likely to report unmet basic needs and physical vulnerability, suggesting a complex relationship between social conditions and mental health.

Read moreDetails

SUBSCRIBE

Go Ad-Free! Click here to subscribe to PsyPost and support independent science journalism!

STAY CONNECTED

LATEST

Women favor men with attractive faces when making social bargaining decisions

Caffeine increases brain complexity during sleep, study shows

Psychedelic retreats show promise in easing depression, PTSD, and reintegration struggles among veterans

Neurons in an autism model fail to distinguish social from non-social touch

Medicinal cannabis may actually worsen sleep, a new study finds

Scientists identify the brain’s built-in brake for binge drinking

Trump’s speeches stump AI: Study reveals ChatGPT’s struggle with metaphors

Childhood maltreatment linked to emotion regulation difficulties and teen mental health problems

         
       
  • Contact us
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms and Conditions
[Do not sell my information]

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

Subscribe
  • My Account
  • Cognitive Science Research
  • Mental Health Research
  • Social Psychology Research
  • Drug Research
  • Relationship Research
  • About PsyPost
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy