Hope and chronic pain-a systematic review.

Background: Hope is considered as an important therapeutic factor in health and illness. Chronic pain affects a significant proportion of the world's population and causes great emotional and physical suffering to patients.
Objective: The aim of this systematic review is to explore the current literature on hope and chronic pain.
Methods: A comprehensive review of current literature on hope and chronic pain was undertaken. Several databases were used (incorporating EBSCO, MEDLINE, PUBMED). Search terms included 'hope' and 'hopelessness' in conjunction with 'chronic pain, 'pain management' and 'pain reduction'. Articles were included if they reported a study (1) exploring outcomes of hope as an intervention for chronic pain, (2) reported on hope specifically and not related concepts and (3) included a measurement of hope.
Results: A total of three articles were found which fit the inclusion criteria. Each article used different tools to measure hope. The review demonstrates a gap in the literature regarding hope as a therapeutic intervention for chronic pain specifically.
Conclusions: The findings of this review demonstrate that hope is influenced by several patient factors and has a positive impact on patients with chronic pain. The current literature supports the usefulness of hope as a therapeutic intervention for not only chronic pain but many chronic illnesses.