Editing Pain (section)

== Functional effects ==
Experimental subjects challenged by acute pain and patients in chronic pain experience impairments in attention control, [[Working memory|working memory capacity]], [[Cognitive flexibility|mental flexibility]], problem solving, and information processing speed.<ref name=Hart2003>{{cite journal | vauthors = Hart RP, Wade JB, Martelli MF | title = Cognitive impairment in patients with chronic pain: the significance of stress | journal = Current Pain and Headache Reports | volume = 7 | issue = 2 | pages = 116–126 | date = April 2003 | pmid = 12628053 | doi = 10.1007/s11916-003-0021-5 | s2cid = 14104974 }}</ref> Pain is also associated with increased depression, anxiety, fear, and anger.<ref name="pmid19146872">{{cite journal | vauthors = Bruehl S, Burns JW, Chung OY, Chont M | title = Pain-related effects of trait anger expression: neural substrates and the role of endogenous opioid mechanisms | journal = Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews | volume = 33 | issue = 3 | pages = 475–491 | date = March 2009 | pmid = 19146872 | pmc = 2756489 | doi = 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2008.12.003 }}</ref>

{{blockquote|If I have matters right, the consequences of pain will include direct physical distress, unemployment, financial difficulties, marital disharmony, and difficulties in concentration and attention…|[[Harold Merskey]] 2000<ref name="isbn1-55798-646-0">{{cite book |vauthors=Merskey H |veditors=Weisberg JN, Gatchel RJ |title=Personality Characteristics of Patients With Pain |publisher=American Psychological Association (APA) |year=2000 |isbn=978-1557986467 |chapter=The History of Psychoanalytic Ideas Concerning Pain |chapter-url-access=registration |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/personalitychara0000unse }}</ref>}}

=== On subsequent negative emotion ===
Although pain is considered to be aversive and unpleasant and is therefore usually avoided, a [[meta-analysis]] which summarized and evaluated numerous studies from various psychological disciplines, found a reduction in [[negative affect]]. Across studies, participants that were subjected to acute physical pain in the laboratory subsequently reported feeling better than those in non-painful control conditions, a finding which was also reflected in physiological parameters.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors= Bresin K, Kling L, Verona E | year = 2018 | title = The effect of acute physical pain on subsequent negative emotional affect: A meta-analysis | journal = Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment | volume = 9 | issue = 3| pages = 273–283 | doi = 10.1037/per0000248 | pmid = 28368146 | pmc = 5624817 }}</ref> A potential mechanism to explain this effect is provided by the [[opponent-process theory]].