Pain and Psychology: Mechanisms, Interventions, and Future Perspectives from an Integrative Psychiatric View, International Journal of Pain Research, Science Publishing Group

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Pain and Psychology: Mechanisms, Interventions, and Future Perspectives from an Integrative Psychiatric View

Han Gao, Ming Ai^*

Published in International Journal of Pain Research (Volume 2, Issue 3)

Received: 1 September 2026 Accepted: 14 September 2026 Published: 27 September 2026

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Abstract

Chronic pain is a highly prevalent and disabling condition, and the traditional biomedical model has limited explanatory and therapeutic value. Pain is increasingly understood as a biopsychosocial experience shaped by sensory, emotional, cognitive, and social factors. However, clinical assessment and treatment remain fragmented, and the role of psychiatry in integrated pain management is often underrecognized. This review aims to summarize the interaction mechanisms between pain and psychology, evaluate multimodal psychiatric and psychological interventions, and outline future directions for integrated pain care. To achieve this, relevant literature on pain mechanisms, psychotherapy, pharmacotherapy, neuromodulation, and digital health was reviewed and synthesized, with a focus on neuroimaging studies, clinical trials, and clinical guidelines. The findings indicate that neuroimaging studies have revealed shared brain networks and neuroplastic mechanisms between pain and emotion, providing a biological basis for psychological interventions. Major psychotherapeutic approaches—including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), emotion awareness and expression therapy (EAET), mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), and hypnotherapy—target cognitive, emotional, and behavioral processes. Pharmacotherapy and neuromodulation further expand treatment options. Integrated psychiatric interventions can effectively alleviate chronic pain and comorbid mood symptoms, although challenges remain, including imperfect assessment, opioid-related risks, limited interdisciplinary collaboration, and individual heterogeneity. Future pain management should integrate neuroimaging, genetics, and digital health technologies to support individualized treatment, promote interdisciplinary collaboration, and shift from “treating pain” to “treating the person,” ultimately improving patients’ overall quality of life.

Published in	International Journal of Pain Research (Volume 2, Issue 3)
DOI	10.11648/j.ijpr.20260203.21
Page(s)	190-200
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2026. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Chronic Pain, Psychological Factors, Psychiatry, Neuroimaging, Multimodal Intervention, Psychotherapy

References

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Gao, H., Ai, M. (2026). Pain and Psychology: Mechanisms, Interventions, and Future Perspectives from an Integrative Psychiatric View. International Journal of Pain Research, 2(3), 190-200. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijpr.20260203.21

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Gao, H.; Ai, M. Pain and Psychology: Mechanisms, Interventions, and Future Perspectives from an Integrative Psychiatric View. . 2026, 2(3), 190-200. doi: 10.11648/j.ijpr.20260203.21

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Gao H, Ai M. Pain and Psychology: Mechanisms, Interventions, and Future Perspectives from an Integrative Psychiatric View. . 2026;2(3):190-200. doi: 10.11648/j.ijpr.20260203.21

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@article{10.11648/j.ijpr.20260203.21,
  author = {Han Gao and Ming Ai},
  title = {Pain and Psychology: Mechanisms, Interventions, and Future Perspectives from an Integrative Psychiatric View},
  journal = {International Journal of Pain Research},
  volume = {2},
  number = {3},
  pages = {190-200},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijpr.20260203.21},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijpr.20260203.21},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijpr.20260203.21},
  abstract = {Chronic pain is a highly prevalent and disabling condition, and the traditional biomedical model has limited explanatory and therapeutic value. Pain is increasingly understood as a biopsychosocial experience shaped by sensory, emotional, cognitive, and social factors. However, clinical assessment and treatment remain fragmented, and the role of psychiatry in integrated pain management is often underrecognized. This review aims to summarize the interaction mechanisms between pain and psychology, evaluate multimodal psychiatric and psychological interventions, and outline future directions for integrated pain care. To achieve this, relevant literature on pain mechanisms, psychotherapy, pharmacotherapy, neuromodulation, and digital health was reviewed and synthesized, with a focus on neuroimaging studies, clinical trials, and clinical guidelines. The findings indicate that neuroimaging studies have revealed shared brain networks and neuroplastic mechanisms between pain and emotion, providing a biological basis for psychological interventions. Major psychotherapeutic approaches—including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), emotion awareness and expression therapy (EAET), mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), and hypnotherapy—target cognitive, emotional, and behavioral processes. Pharmacotherapy and neuromodulation further expand treatment options. Integrated psychiatric interventions can effectively alleviate chronic pain and comorbid mood symptoms, although challenges remain, including imperfect assessment, opioid-related risks, limited interdisciplinary collaboration, and individual heterogeneity. Future pain management should integrate neuroimaging, genetics, and digital health technologies to support individualized treatment, promote interdisciplinary collaboration, and shift from “treating pain” to “treating the person,” ultimately improving patients’ overall quality of life.},
 year = {2026}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Pain and Psychology: Mechanisms, Interventions, and Future Perspectives from an Integrative Psychiatric View
AU  - Han Gao
AU  - Ming Ai
Y1  - 2026/09/27
PY  - 2026
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DO  - 10.11648/j.ijpr.20260203.21
T2  - International Journal of Pain Research
JF  - International Journal of Pain Research
JO  - International Journal of Pain Research
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EP  - 200
PB  - Science Publishing Group
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AB  - Chronic pain is a highly prevalent and disabling condition, and the traditional biomedical model has limited explanatory and therapeutic value. Pain is increasingly understood as a biopsychosocial experience shaped by sensory, emotional, cognitive, and social factors. However, clinical assessment and treatment remain fragmented, and the role of psychiatry in integrated pain management is often underrecognized. This review aims to summarize the interaction mechanisms between pain and psychology, evaluate multimodal psychiatric and psychological interventions, and outline future directions for integrated pain care. To achieve this, relevant literature on pain mechanisms, psychotherapy, pharmacotherapy, neuromodulation, and digital health was reviewed and synthesized, with a focus on neuroimaging studies, clinical trials, and clinical guidelines. The findings indicate that neuroimaging studies have revealed shared brain networks and neuroplastic mechanisms between pain and emotion, providing a biological basis for psychological interventions. Major psychotherapeutic approaches—including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), emotion awareness and expression therapy (EAET), mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), and hypnotherapy—target cognitive, emotional, and behavioral processes. Pharmacotherapy and neuromodulation further expand treatment options. Integrated psychiatric interventions can effectively alleviate chronic pain and comorbid mood symptoms, although challenges remain, including imperfect assessment, opioid-related risks, limited interdisciplinary collaboration, and individual heterogeneity. Future pain management should integrate neuroimaging, genetics, and digital health technologies to support individualized treatment, promote interdisciplinary collaboration, and shift from “treating pain” to “treating the person,” ultimately improving patients’ overall quality of life.
VL  - 2
IS  - 3
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Han Gao

Department of Psychiatry, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
Ming Ai

Department of Psychiatry, Chongqing Eleventh People’s Hospital, Chongqing, China;Department of Psychiatry, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China

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http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7876-3241

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Gao, H., Ai, M. (2026). Pain and Psychology: Mechanisms, Interventions, and Future Perspectives from an Integrative Psychiatric View. International Journal of Pain Research, 2(3), 190-200. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijpr.20260203.21

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Gao, H.; Ai, M. Pain and Psychology: Mechanisms, Interventions, and Future Perspectives from an Integrative Psychiatric View. . 2026, 2(3), 190-200. doi: 10.11648/j.ijpr.20260203.21

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Gao H, Ai M. Pain and Psychology: Mechanisms, Interventions, and Future Perspectives from an Integrative Psychiatric View. . 2026;2(3):190-200. doi: 10.11648/j.ijpr.20260203.21

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@article{10.11648/j.ijpr.20260203.21,
  author = {Han Gao and Ming Ai},
  title = {Pain and Psychology: Mechanisms, Interventions, and Future Perspectives from an Integrative Psychiatric View},
  journal = {International Journal of Pain Research},
  volume = {2},
  number = {3},
  pages = {190-200},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijpr.20260203.21},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijpr.20260203.21},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijpr.20260203.21},
  abstract = {Chronic pain is a highly prevalent and disabling condition, and the traditional biomedical model has limited explanatory and therapeutic value. Pain is increasingly understood as a biopsychosocial experience shaped by sensory, emotional, cognitive, and social factors. However, clinical assessment and treatment remain fragmented, and the role of psychiatry in integrated pain management is often underrecognized. This review aims to summarize the interaction mechanisms between pain and psychology, evaluate multimodal psychiatric and psychological interventions, and outline future directions for integrated pain care. To achieve this, relevant literature on pain mechanisms, psychotherapy, pharmacotherapy, neuromodulation, and digital health was reviewed and synthesized, with a focus on neuroimaging studies, clinical trials, and clinical guidelines. The findings indicate that neuroimaging studies have revealed shared brain networks and neuroplastic mechanisms between pain and emotion, providing a biological basis for psychological interventions. Major psychotherapeutic approaches—including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), emotion awareness and expression therapy (EAET), mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), and hypnotherapy—target cognitive, emotional, and behavioral processes. Pharmacotherapy and neuromodulation further expand treatment options. Integrated psychiatric interventions can effectively alleviate chronic pain and comorbid mood symptoms, although challenges remain, including imperfect assessment, opioid-related risks, limited interdisciplinary collaboration, and individual heterogeneity. Future pain management should integrate neuroimaging, genetics, and digital health technologies to support individualized treatment, promote interdisciplinary collaboration, and shift from “treating pain” to “treating the person,” ultimately improving patients’ overall quality of life.},
 year = {2026}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Pain and Psychology: Mechanisms, Interventions, and Future Perspectives from an Integrative Psychiatric View
AU  - Han Gao
AU  - Ming Ai
Y1  - 2026/09/27
PY  - 2026
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijpr.20260203.21
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijpr.20260203.21
T2  - International Journal of Pain Research
JF  - International Journal of Pain Research
JO  - International Journal of Pain Research
SP  - 190
EP  - 200
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 3070-1562
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijpr.20260203.21
AB  - Chronic pain is a highly prevalent and disabling condition, and the traditional biomedical model has limited explanatory and therapeutic value. Pain is increasingly understood as a biopsychosocial experience shaped by sensory, emotional, cognitive, and social factors. However, clinical assessment and treatment remain fragmented, and the role of psychiatry in integrated pain management is often underrecognized. This review aims to summarize the interaction mechanisms between pain and psychology, evaluate multimodal psychiatric and psychological interventions, and outline future directions for integrated pain care. To achieve this, relevant literature on pain mechanisms, psychotherapy, pharmacotherapy, neuromodulation, and digital health was reviewed and synthesized, with a focus on neuroimaging studies, clinical trials, and clinical guidelines. The findings indicate that neuroimaging studies have revealed shared brain networks and neuroplastic mechanisms between pain and emotion, providing a biological basis for psychological interventions. Major psychotherapeutic approaches—including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), emotion awareness and expression therapy (EAET), mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), and hypnotherapy—target cognitive, emotional, and behavioral processes. Pharmacotherapy and neuromodulation further expand treatment options. Integrated psychiatric interventions can effectively alleviate chronic pain and comorbid mood symptoms, although challenges remain, including imperfect assessment, opioid-related risks, limited interdisciplinary collaboration, and individual heterogeneity. Future pain management should integrate neuroimaging, genetics, and digital health technologies to support individualized treatment, promote interdisciplinary collaboration, and shift from “treating pain” to “treating the person,” ultimately improving patients’ overall quality of life.
VL  - 2
IS  - 3
ER  -

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