CANBERRA, July 9 (Xinhua) -- A research project run by the Psychology department at RMIT University and the Pain Management Service at the Royal Melbourne Hospital (RMH) is hoping to find answer to why some people suffer from chronic pain.

    RMIT's Associate Professor Andrew Francis said on Thursday, "Everyone experiences pain at some point. For most, this involves a short period of unpleasant bodily sensation. But for some, pain becomes chronic, severe and debilitating. About one in five Australians suffer from chronic pain."

    "Chronic pain is pain experienced every day, for at least three of the previous six months. Scientists and clinicians still do not understand well why some patients develop chronic pain and others do not," Andrew Francis said.

    The project, which is being conducted by Elle Perry and Andrew Francis of RMIT, and Malcolm Hogg, Director of the Pain Management Service at the RMH, is examining the characteristics and personality of individuals suffering from chronic pain.

    Elle Perry, Psychology Clinical Masters candidate and leader of the study, said "the research aims to determine whether being confident that you can manage pain symptoms influences your capacity to avoid or recover from chronic pain."

    "The study is investigating, in a new way, how people with chronic pain manage and cope with their pain on a day-to-day basis. It is hoped that by finding out what the psychological differences are between those who manage pain and those who don't, we can then counsel and train people to better manage chronic pain," said Elle Perry.

    The researchers are looking for volunteers who experience chronic pain and are aged from 18 to 75.