ABSTRACT
This chapter helps to develop an understanding of biopsychosocial mechanisms of poor outcome in patients with financial incentive. It includes an examination of both patient characteristics and a variety of other psychosocial influences on the report of symptoms and disability. Financial incentive exists within a definable social network. The patient with financial incentive (PFI) interacts with different typical elements of the network, although the specific configuration may differ. One of the central premises of this chapter is that psychosocial research on the interactions of PFIs with members of this network will yield an understanding of poor outcome associated with financial incentive. The chapter addresses individual vulnerabilities to increased symptoms and disability/poor outcome. It examines individual attributes, identified from history, symptom report, or psychological testing results, that are linked to increased symptoms or poor symptomatic or disability outcome. The chapter suggests that pain-related disability is not a simple equation in which injury equals disability.
