Objective-Psychological pain lies at the heart of human experience. However, it may also be abnormally intense and/or prolonged in pathological states, with negative outcomes. A simple and reliable measure of psychological pain for clinical use would be useful. In this study, we present a preliminary validation of a simple visual analog scale jointly measuring psychological and physical pain. Methods-Two samples of adult (non elderly) depressed patients and healthy controls were independently recruited in two locations in Canada and the USA (N=48/46 and 20/200, respectively). Six dimensions were successively scored on a paper visual analog scale measuring current, mean and worst pain over the last 15 days, for physical then psychological pain.

No abstract

No abstract

The results support the hypothesis of increased health risks in patients with a history of suicide attempts and highlight the need for targeted health interventions.