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Handbook of Pain and Aging pp 185–206Cite as

The Role of Pain in the Cascade from Chronic Illness to Social Disability and Psychological Distress in Late Life

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Part of the book series: The Springer Series in Adult Development and Aging ((SSAD))

Abstract

Pain has been viewed as an important concomitant of late-life illness that can threaten the quality of life of older adults. In considering linkages between chronic physical illness and psychological distress in late life, the associations between reporting of pain and indices of depression have been extensively studied (Parmelee, 1994; Romano & Turner, 1985). Nevertheless, the role of pain in mediating the effects of ill health on functioning and psychological well-being has seldom been considered in a more comprehensive framework. Such a framework could organize our understanding of the biopsychosocial and ecological context of pain and consider its sequelae for both social and psychological well-being (Kahana & Kahana, 1996).

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio, 44115, USA

    Boaz Kahana

  2. Department of Sociology, Case Western University, Cleveland, Ohio, 44106-7124, USA

    Eva Kahana, Kevan Namazi & Kyle Kercher

  3. Department of Family Medicine, Case Western University, Cleveland, Ohio, 44106-7124, USA

    Kurt Stange

Authors
  1. Boaz Kahana
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  2. Eva Kahana
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  3. Kevan Namazi
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  4. Kyle Kercher
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  5. Kurt Stange
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, USA

    David I. Mostofsky

  2. The Herczeg Institute on Aging, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel

    Jacob Lomranz

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© 1997 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Kahana, B., Kahana, E., Namazi, K., Kercher, K., Stange, K. (1997). The Role of Pain in the Cascade from Chronic Illness to Social Disability and Psychological Distress in Late Life. In: Mostofsky, D.I., Lomranz, J. (eds) Handbook of Pain and Aging. The Springer Series in Adult Development and Aging. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-0283-2_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-0283-2_9

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4899-0285-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4899-0283-2

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