Samsuk Kim, PhD.

All Publications

• Childhood trauma history and response to behavioral treatments for chronic low back pain. Regional anesthesia and pain medicine Kim, S., You, D. S., Mackey, S., Darnall, B. D. 2026

  View details for DOI 10.1136/rapm-2026-108047

  View details for PubMedID 42562423

• Latent Classes of Pain Treatment Utilization at a Tertiary Pain Clinic: A Cross-Sectional Study. Pain medicine (Malden, Mass.) You, D. S., Dildine, T. C., Lannon, E., Kim, S., Chike, O., Weber, K. A., Falasinnu, T., Mackey, S. C. 2026

  Abstract

  Chronic pain, particularly high-impact chronic pain (HICP), poses substantial health burdens for older adults. Multimodal and multidisciplinary treatments (MMT) are recommended for chronic pain, yet their utilization across age and HICP status remains unclear. This study examined current treatment utilization patterns and associated health status among younger (< 65) and older (≥ 65) adults, with and without HICP, at a tertiary pain clinic.Cross-sectional data (N = 347; 34% older adults; 57% HICP) were analyzed. HICP was defined using the Graded Chronic Pain Scale-Revised. Health status was assessed using PROMIS measures. Latent class analysis identified treatment utilization subgroups. Logistic regression examined whether age, HICP, or their interaction predicted group membership. One-way ANOVAs compared health status across classes.Three treatment patterns emerged: Class 1 (60%), primarily using non-opioid medication; Class 2 (29%), primarily using opioid medication; and Class 3 (11%), utilizing MMT (movement-based therapy, pain psychology, and other modalities). Older age and HICP were associated with an increased likelihood of Class 2 membership, but not with Class 3 membership. The age by HICP interaction was not significant. Compared to Class 1, Class 2 reported worse pain, pain interference, and physical function, while Class 3 reported greater pain interference, fatigue, and psychosocial distress.MMT uptake was low and unrelated to age or HICP status. Patients using MMT exhibited greater symptom burden, suggesting that those with complex presentations are more likely to engage in MMT. Longitudinal studies are needed to determine whether MMT reduces symptom burden over time.

  View details for DOI 10.1093/pm/pnag085

  View details for PubMedID 42429543

• Pain Catastrophizing, Pain Self-Efficacy, and their Interaction as Predictors of Health Outcomes in Chronic Pain. medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences Raney, E., Dildine, T. C., Kim, S., Mackey, S. C., You, D. S. 2026

  Abstract

  Pain catastrophizing and pain self-efficacy are well-established predictors of health outcomes in chronic pain. Higher pain catastrophizing, a maladaptive cognitive process, predicts worse health outcomes, whereas higher pain self-efficacy, an adaptive cognitive process, predicts better health outcomes. This study examined whether pain catastrophizing and pain self-efficacy interactions predict physical and psychosocial health outcomes at 3 months and their change over 3-months among patients with chronic pain who sought care at a tertiary pain clinic.Adults with chronic pain (N = 181; 66.7% female; Mage = 58.7) completed baseline assessments of the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), Chronic Pain Self-Efficacy Scale (CPSS), and PROMIS measures of physical (pain intensity, pain interference, physical function) and psychosocial health (depression, anxiety, anger, loneliness). PROMIS measures were repeated at 3 months. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses tested PCS, CPSS, and their interaction as predictors of outcomes at 3 months and change scores from baseline to 3 months.The PCS×CPSS interaction significantly improved prediction for physical function (ΔR2 = 0.02, p = .02). Higher baseline self-efficacy predicted better physical function (β = 0.65, p < .001), but this effect weakened with higher levels of pain catastrophizing. The interaction also predicted change scores in physical function (p = .025) but was marginal after false discovery rate correction (p = .059). Additionally, a significant interaction emerged for loneliness change scores (p = .01): higher self-efficacy predicted greater reductions in loneliness, attenuated by higher catastrophizing.Pain self-efficacy interacted with pain catastrophizing to predict physical function and loneliness at 3 months. Greater self-efficacy was associated with better outcomes, with associations diminished with higher levels of pain catastrophizing. Findings highlight the moderating role of adaptive and maladaptive cognitions and suggest interventions should address both processes to optimize recovery in physical and social functioning.

  View details for DOI 10.64898/2026.06.15.26355697

  View details for PubMedID 42396293

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC13320926

• Feasibility and Preliminary Efficacy of Empowered Relief in Patients With Chronic Pain Taking Methadone or Buprenorphine: Single-Arm National Pilot Study. JMIR formative research You, D., Edwards, K. A., Ziadni, M. S., Kim, S., Klein, M. R., Cox, R., Raney, E., Kuchera, J., Darnall, B. D. 2026; 10: e86070

  Abstract

  Approximately 45% of individuals taking methadone or buprenorphine have chronic pain. These medications are commonly prescribed for chronic pain or opioid use disorder (OUD). To optimize pain management as well as reduce opioid-related symptoms (eg, craving) and risks (misuse and overdose), there is a critical need for a brief, effective, and accessible pain skills intervention for this population.This single-arm study aimed to examine the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of online Empowered Relief (ER), a 1-session pain relief skills class, for individuals with chronic pain taking methadone or buprenorphine for chronic pain or OUD.A priori feasibility criteria were defined as at least 75% of enrolled participants attending the ER class and the mean satisfaction rating of at least 8 on a 0-10 scale. Participants were recruited nationally across the United States. Out of the 69 enrolled participants, 55 attended the ER class. Self-report measures were collected at baseline, immediately post class, and at follow-up points of 2 weeks and months 1-3. Additionally, qualitative interviews were conducted in a small sample (n=14) to obtain in-depth participant feedback. Among the class attendees, 51 participants (27/51, 52.9% female; mean age 48.6, SD 12.2, range 28-71 years) completed at least one follow-up survey, and treatment outcomes were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA, with missing data imputed using linear regression. This analytic sample consisted of 24 participants taking methadone and 27 participants taking buprenorphine; 43.1% (22/51) endorsed at least≥2 OUD symptoms within the past 12 months, meeting the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders [Fifth Edition]) diagnostic criteria for current OUD.Feasibility was achieved with 79.7% (55/74) attendance and mean 8.6 (SD 2) ratings of treatment appraisal and satisfaction. Qualitative feedback demonstrated high acceptability of the class content and delivery, with suggestions for refinements. Repeated-measures ANOVAs and FDR-corrected post hoc tests revealed significant reductions at 1 month post-ER class (primary endpoint) in pain intensity (Cohen d=0.71), pain bothersomeness (Cohen d=0.54), and pain interference (Cohen d=0.61). At 3 months post-ER class, efficacy was maintained for pain intensity, pain bothersomeness, and pain interference (Cohen d=0.28, 0.44, and 0.48, respectively). No significant time effects were observed for pain catastrophizing, sleep disturbance, physical function, fatigue, depression, anxiety, social isolation, and opioid craving.This study is the first to test ER in patients taking methadone or buprenorphine for pain or OUD. Findings showed feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary evidence of treatment efficacy. Participant feedback will inform future study designs. These findings support a randomized trial to fully evaluate the efficacy and scalability of ER in this population.

  View details for DOI 10.2196/86070

  View details for PubMedID 41812186

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC12978655

• Actigraphy Misestimates Ambulatory Objective Sleep Compared to Wearable EEG in Chronic Pain Kim, S., Zeitzer, J., You, D., Darnall, B., Mackey, S. CHURCHILL LIVINGSTONE. 2026

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.jpain.2025.106144

  View details for Web of Science ID 001746783200111

• Improving Postoperative Outcomes with Psychological and Behavioral Interventions: Access, Efficacy, and Implementation. Anesthesiology Kim, S., Darnall, B. D. 2026; 144 (3): 512-514

  View details for DOI 10.1097/ALN.0000000000005912

  View details for PubMedID 41665391

• Optimism and Cognitive Functioning Trajectories in a Cohort of Aging Men. The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences Marino, V. R., Kubzansky, L. D., Grodstein, F., Kim, S., Spiro, A., Lee, L. O. 2025

  Abstract

  Robust evidence supports optimism as an asset for good physical and emotional health in aging populations, but its role in cognitive aging remains understudied. This study evaluated whether higher optimism levels would be prospectively associated with higher initial levels and slower decline in cognitive functioning over 26 years in a community-dwelling cohort of aging men.Participants included 847 men from the Veterans Affairs Normative Aging Study who completed the Revised Optimism-Pessimism scale of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 in 1986 and ≥1 cognitive assessment repeated triennially in 1993-2019. At each assessment, scores from 7 cognitive tests were combined into a global composite and 3 domain-specific composites: verbal memory, executive functioning, and visuospatial ability. Mixed-effects regression models evaluated the associations between optimism and cognitive trajectories.Higher optimism levels were associated with higher initial levels but not less decline in global cognitive functioning over time (B = 0.04, 95%CI: 0.001, 0.07), adjusted for demographics, practice effects, and lag between optimism assessment and the first cognitive assessment. In domain-specific analyses, optimism was associated with higher initial levels but not magnitude of decline in verbal memory (B = 0.06, 95%CI: 0.01, 0.12), and unrelated to executive functioning or visuospatial ability trajectories.This study adds specificity to a nascent literature linking optimism to cognitive aging, indicating an association with initial levels, but not decline-particularly in verbal memory-in older men. Examining these relationships earlier in life may further clarify the etiologic role of optimism in cognitive health across the developmental span.

  View details for DOI 10.1093/geronb/gbaf139

  View details for PubMedID 40711855

• Revealing sleep and pain reciprocity with wearables and machine learning. Communications medicine Kim, S., Zeitzer, J. M., Mackey, S., Darnall, B. D. 2025; 5 (1): 160

  Abstract

  Sleep disturbance and chronic pain share a bidirectional relationship with poor sleep exacerbating pain and pain disrupting sleep. Despite the substantial burden of sleep disturbance and pain, current treatments fail to address their interplay effectively, largely due to the lack of longitudinal data capturing their complex dynamics. Traditional sleep measurement methods that could be used to quantitate daily changes in sleep, such as polysomnography, are costly and unsuitable for large-scale studies in chronic pain populations. New wearable polysomnography devices combined with machine learning algorithms offer a scalable solution, enabling comprehensive, longitudinal analyses of sleep-pain dynamics. In this Perspective, we highlight how these technologies can overcome current limitations in sleep assessment to uncover mechanisms linking sleep and pain. These tools could transform our understanding of the sleep and pain relationship and guide the development of personalized, data-driven treatments.

  View details for DOI 10.1038/s43856-025-00886-8

  View details for PubMedID 40335627

  View details for PubMedCentralID 7527024

• Impact of Pain Self-Efficacy on Health Outcomes in High-Impact Chronic Pain: A Longitudinal Study. The Clinical journal of pain You, D. S., Lannon, E., Kim, S., Dildine, T. C., Weber, K. A., Raney, E., Mackey, S. C. 2025

  Abstract

  High-impact chronic pain (HICP), affecting 36.4% of individuals with chronic pain, significantly limits work, social, and self-care activities. Effective treatments for HICP remain elusive. In addition to pain catastrophizing, growing evidence suggests that pain self-efficacy may be a treatment target for HICP. Our study examines the relative contributions of pain self-efficacy and catastrophizing to health outcomes in patients with HICP.A total of 259 patients with chronic pain (154 with HICP; 105 without HICP) completed validated measures at baseline and three months later. These included the Chronic Pain Self-Efficacy Scale (CPSS), the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), and Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) domains for physical health (i.e., pain interference, physical function, fatigue, and sleep disturbance) and psychosocial health (i.e., depression, anxiety, anger, and social isolation).Repeated measures MANOVA showed a significant group effect (HICP vs. No-HICP), but no significant time or group by time interaction effect. The HICP group reported significantly lower CPSS scores and higher PCS scores than the No-HICP group, alongside worse physical and psychosocial health outcomes (η²=0.076~0.445). Pain self-efficacy explained a greater proportion of group differences in health outcomes (52.9-71.7%) compared to pain catastrophizing (10.1-43.3%). Especially, self-efficacy in activity engagement accounted for the largest health disparities between the groups.Findings highlight pain self-efficacy as a critical treatment target for HICP, with greater predictive utility than pain catastrophizing. Enhancing self-efficacy through tailored interventions may reduce the burden of HICP. Future studies should prioritize self-efficacy-based interventions and explore their scalability and long-term impact.

  View details for DOI 10.1097/AJP.0000000000001295

  View details for PubMedID 40325564

• Pain Self-Efficacy and Pain Catastrophizing as Predictors of Health Outcomes in Patients with Chronic Pain Raney, E., You, D., Kim, S. CHURCHILL LIVINGSTONE. 2025

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.jpain.2025.105210

  View details for Web of Science ID 001502651300002

• Treatment Mediators of Sleep Improvement after Skills-based Behavioral Interventions for Chronic Low Back Pain: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial Kim, S., You, D., Mackey, S., Darnall, B. D. CHURCHILL LIVINGSTONE. 2025

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.jpain.2025.105222

  View details for Web of Science ID 001502651300046

• Impact of Childhood Trauma History on Treatment Responses to Psychosocial Interventions for Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial Kim, S., You, D., Mackey, S. C., Darnall, B. D. CHURCHILL LIVINGSTONE. 2024: 33

  View details for Web of Science ID 001282167300150

• Emotional Dynamics in Fibromyalgia: Pain, Fatigue, and Stress Moderate Momentary Associations Between Positive and Negative Emotions JOURNAL OF PAIN Kim, S., Dowgwillo, E. A., Kratz, A. L. 2023; 24 (9): 1594-1603

  Abstract

  Affective disruptions, particularly deficits in positive affect, are characteristic of fibromyalgia (FM). The Dynamic Model of Affect provides some explanations of affective disruptions in FM, suggesting that the inverse association between positive and negative emotions is stronger when individuals with FM are under greater stress than usual. However, our understanding of the types of stressors and negative emotions that contribute to these affective dynamics is limited. Using ecological momentary assessment (EMA) methods, 50 adults who met the FM survey diagnostic criteria rated their momentary pain, stress, fatigue, negative emotions (depression, anger, and anxiety), and positive emotions 5X/day for eight days using a smartphone application. Results of multilevel modeling indicate that, consistent with the Dynamic Model of Affect, there was a stronger inverse association between positive emotion and negative emotions during times of greater pain, stress, and fatigue. Importantly, this pattern was specific to depression and anger, and was not present for anxiety. These findings suggest that fluctuations in fatigue and stress may be just as important or more important than fluctuations in pain when understanding the emotional dynamics in FM. In addition, having a more nuanced understanding of the role that different negative emotions play may be similarly important to understanding emotional dynamics in FM. PERSPECTIVE: This article presents new findings on the emotional dynamics in FM during times of increased pain, fatigue, and stress. Findings highlight the need for clinicians to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of fatigue, stress, and anger in addition to more routinely assessed depression and pain when working with individuals with FM.

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.jpain.2023.04.007

  View details for Web of Science ID 001076674600001

  View details for PubMedID 37094743

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC10527274

• Linguistic Indicators of Chronic Pain Acceptance in Individuals With Spinal Cord Injury REHABILITATION PSYCHOLOGY Kim, S., Rohn, E. J., Kratz, A. L. 2021; 66 (4): 520-531

  Abstract

  Pain acceptance is a robust predictor of adjustment to chronic pain, including pain in those with spinal cord injury (SCI). This preliminary study aimed to identify linguistic patterns indicative of chronic pain acceptance to gain new insights into the underlying cognitive-emotional process of this construct.Individuals with SCI and chronic pain (N = 30) completed the Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire (CPAQ) and a semistructured interview about their pain. Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count software was used to quantify linguistic categories of interest in transcribed interviews.Results of hierarchical linear regressions (controlling for pain intensity, age, and education) showed that personal pronouns explained an additional 26.9% of the variance in CPAQ activity engagement, which was associated with a lower frequency of first-person plural pronouns and a higher frequency of third person pronouns. Conjunction words explained an additional 12.8% and 19.2% of the variance in CPAQ total and pain willingness scores, respectively; frequency of conjunction words was negatively associated with acceptance. Perceptual processes words accounted for an additional 39.9% of the variance in pain willingness, which was associated with a lower frequency of seeing words and a higher frequency of hearing and feeling words.Findings suggest that pain acceptance is associated with unique linguistic patterns that can be identified in natural word use among individuals with SCI and chronic pain. Future research to further investigate linguistic indicators of pain acceptance and other clinically relevant pain constructs is warranted and could advance theoretical models of pain adaptation and clinical approaches to treating pain. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

  View details for DOI 10.1037/rep0000399

  View details for Web of Science ID 000725826700024

  View details for PubMedID 34516167

• A Review of the Use and Psychometric Properties of the Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaires REHABILITATION PSYCHOLOGY Kim, S., Kratz, A. L. 2021; 66 (1): 102-105

  Abstract

  This review summarizes data presented in published psychometric papers evaluating the measurement properties of the Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire (CPAQ) measures. The CPAQ measures quantify levels of acceptance of chronic pain across two facets of acceptance: willingness to experience rather than avoid or control pain and engagement in daily activities and life goals despite the presence of pain. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

  View details for DOI 10.1037/rep0000342

  View details for Web of Science ID 000619666700011

  View details for PubMedID 33591792