Pain is a strong, unpleasant experience that affects thinking and feeling. Pain is not only a personal problem, it is also a major social problem. One in five adults, as well as children and young people, suffer from chronic pain.

Pain is a significant research topic with broad implications for both basic science and clinical practice. Research efforts focus on understanding the mechanisms of pain, developing new therapies, and improving pain management strategies. Key areas include the neurobiology of pain, psychological factors, and the societal impact of pain experiences. Also, pain research designed to understand and improve treatment modalities for pain can be controversial due to the welfare and moral dilemmas that such designs (e.g. animal models) invoke.

Pain research at Ghent University

Ghent Health Psychology Lab

The research of Ghent Health Psychology lab focuses on the psychology of illness and health, and is firmly grounded in theory. Foundational  is the adoption of a functional, -motivational perspective that is built around the organizing powers of  goals,  and self-regulation and emotion.

The Ghent Health Psychology Lab investigates stigmatization related to chronic pain and opioid use, aiming to improve patient wellbeing and treatment outcomes. One project examines how stigmatization and invalidation in healthcare encounters, particularly mismatches between the illness models of patients and practitioners, impact patients' quality of life, stress levels, and treatment adherence. Another project focuses on opioid-related stigmatization within the broader social environment, including society and various networks. It explores how this stigmatization affects patient wellbeing and treatment efficacy. A related project studies the unintended stigmatization arising from opioid use reduction policies in the Belgian healthcare system. It examines the impact of these policies on pain management and patient outcomes, highlighting the broader implications of stigmatization in clinical settings. Family Processes in (Chronic) Illness: The Ghent Health Psychology Lab also investigates the impact of a(n) (advanced) cancer diagnosis on families, aiming to identify predictors of (mal)adaptation. This research explores the experiences and impact of a diagnosis of (advanced) cancer on the family as a whole and individual family members (children). In addition to cancer-related research, the lab studies the dynamics in families dealing with chronic illnesses such as chronic kidney disease. In this research parents’ mental health, professional outcomes and parenting behaviours are explored.

The research of Ghent Health Psychology lab is achieved by both experimental research in a laboratory setting, and applied research in daily life, clinical and occupational settings. Research is conducted in adult as well as child/adolescent populations. Often innovative (experimental) paradigms are developed for these research purposes. Our research has a profound impact upon current theorizing and practice. The importance of clinical studies has steadily increased over the years.  Individuals with chronic pain or chronic illness are recruited from different settings, most often from Ghent University Hospital and patient association groups. An interdisciplinary pain research lab has been set up in collaboration with the Multidisciplinary Pain Clinic of Ghent University Hospital.

Spine, Head and Pain Research Unit Ghent

The research group includes healthy subjects (with or without experimentally induced pain) and patients. These patient groups experience acute, recurrent or chronic complaints, mostly of musculoskeletal nature occurring mainly at the level of the spine, head or more widespread throughout the body (e.g. back, neck, headache, tinnitus, fibromyalgia, CVS).
The group focuses on underlying peripheral and central mechanisms of these complaints. The possible role of these mechanisms in the predetermination, cause or maintenance of the complaints is studied. Biological, psychological and social components are investigated as well as their interactions.

Pain Clinic

The Pain Clinic at UZ Gent is a multidisciplinary reference centre. We offer individual guidance for people suffering from chronic pain. This guidance is evidence-based and biopsychosocial. So we don't just look at the medical aspects, we also pay attention to psychological and social factors.

More information: https://www.uzgent.be/nl/pijnkliniek