Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

Date of Award

Spring 2026

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

College

College of Science and Health

First Advisor

Susan Tran

Abstract

Chronic pain is a complex and highly prevalent concern that can significantly disrupt functioning during adolescence and emerging adulthood. Pain during this developmental period may interfere with academic engagement, social relationships, emotional functioning, and the transition toward independence. Psychosocial stressors such as discrimination and heightened health anxiety may negatively influence pain experiences and coping, whereas protective psychological characteristics such as grit may buffer these effects. The present study examined the relationships between discrimination, health anxiety, grit, pain outcomes, and coping strategies in emerging adults with chronic pain. Participants completed self-report measures assessing discrimination, health anxiety, grit, pain intensity and frequency, and coping strategies. Multiple regression, mediation, and moderation analyses were conducted to evaluate the study hypotheses. Results indicated that discrimination was not consistently associated with pain outcomes or coping strategies across analyses. However, educational discrimination significantly predicted greater worst pain, and institutional discrimination was associated with greater usual pain. Health anxiety was consistently associated with pain outcomes but did not significantly mediate the relationship between discrimination and pain. Moderation analyses demonstrated that grit significantly moderated the relationship between both educational and institutional discrimination and worst pain, such that discrimination was associated with greater pain at lower levels of grit but not at higher levels of grit. Exploratory analyses further indicated that emotional avoidance coping was associated with greater pain intensity. Overall, findings suggest that psychological and emotional processes may play a stronger role in pain experiences than discrimination alone. Additionally, grit may function as a protective factor that buffers the relationship between discrimination and heightened pain experiences. These findings highlight the importance of examining resilience processes and emotional functioning when understanding pain outcomes among adolescents and emerging adults with chronic pain.

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