{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,3]],"date-time":"2026-09-03T14:17:45Z","timestamp":1788445065128,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":48,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,7]],"date-time":"2026-02-07T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1770422400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":6,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,1]],"date-time":"2026-02-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1769904000000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/doi.wiley.com\/10.1002\/tdm_license_1.1"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["European Journal of Pain"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,2]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>ABSTRACT<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A growing body of research reports positive consequences of acute pain, including emotional self\u2010regulation. Pain as a pleasurable experience has also been regarded in the context of sadomasochistic (SM) interest, albeit quantitative empirical evidence is scarce. Recently, an elevated prevalence of chronic pain (CP) has been reported in SM practitioners; however, in absence of a control group. To contribute to research in the field, we strove to see whether we could replicate the finding and further aimed to identify psychological predictors of SM.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Method<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      A total of 617 participants (\n                      <jats:italic>N<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009=\u2009242 with SM sexual preference) completed an online questionnaire battery comprising psychometric instruments for the measurement of pain attitudes, sensation seeking and pain sensitivity. An age\u2010 and sex\u2010matched sample was created to control for their respective influence.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>CP prevalence in the SM subsample was 47.2%, which we found to be significantly increased compared to the prevalence in the non\u2010SM subsample (29.4%). Neither sex nor age seemed to explain the relationship. There were no interaction effects of SM\u2009\u00d7\u2009CP on pain attitudes. A hierarchical logistic regression model explained around 42% of the variance in SM, with CP, sensation seeking, and viewing pain as a challenge as significant predictors.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>We replicated an increased CP prevalence in SM and ruled out previous sampling biases. We further extended evidence on factors predicting SM sexual preference. Large\u2010scale, representative and prospective studies are needed to corroborate the idea of SM as a coping strategy used by some CP patients.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Significance Statement<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>We demonstrated a significantly elevated chronic pain prevalence of around 47% in individuals with sadomasochistic sexual preference, ruling out previously discussed sampling biases. Possibly, sadomasochistic practise is used as a coping strategy by some chronic pain patients. We further presented a model of pain\u2010related and psychological variables explaining around 42% of variance in sadomasochistic sexual preference in general. The results are discussed in terms of their potential to inform pain management strategies.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1002\/ejp.70230","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,7]],"date-time":"2026-02-07T17:04:37Z","timestamp":1770483877000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Gaining the Upper Hand? Further Evidence of Pain as a Pleasurable Experience and the Unexpected Relationship Between Sadomasochistic Sexual Preference and Chronic Pain"],"prefix":"10.1002","volume":"30","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7478-4886","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Annabel","family":"Vetterlein","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychology, Personality &amp; Biological Psychology University of Bonn  Bonn Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sarah","family":"Kirrinnis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychology, Personality &amp; Biological Psychology University of Bonn  Bonn Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Merlin","family":"Monzel","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychology, Personality &amp; Biological Psychology University of Bonn  Bonn Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ana\u2010Laia","family":"K\u00f6nig Guasch","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychology, Personality &amp; Biological Psychology University of Bonn  Bonn Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Martin","family":"Reuter","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychology, Personality &amp; Biological Psychology University of Bonn  Bonn Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"311","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,7]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_2_10_2_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1037\/cns0000097"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_3_1","first-page":"38","volume-title":"Statistisches Matching: Anwendungsm\u00f6glichkeiten, Verfahren und Ihre Praktische Umsetzung in SPSS","author":"Bacher J.","year":"2002"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_4_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.appet.2013.10.011"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_5_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1088868314527831"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_6_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/ejp.2037"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_7_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/00224498809551444"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_8_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1026\/\/0012-1924.49.2.61"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_9_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/00224499.2019.1665619"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_10_1","first-page":"395","article-title":"Using BDSM (Bondage\/Discipline, Dominance\/Submission, Sadism\/Masochism) to Manage Endometriosis Pain: A Case Report","volume":"13","author":"Brown K. S.","year":"2020","journal-title":"Journal of Pain Management"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_11_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1363460720964035"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_12_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.pain.2007.07.024"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_13_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.esxm.2019.02.002"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_14_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Deditius\u2010Island H. K. andJ. C.Caruso.2002.\u201cAn Examination of the Reliability of Scores From Zuckerman's Sensation Seeking Scales Form V.\u201d","DOI":"10.1177\/0013164402062004012"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_15_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/ejp.662"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_16_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/ejp.1686"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_17_1","unstructured":"Duarte Silva A.2015.\u201cThrough Pain More Gain? 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