In a consecutive series of 227 psychiatric hospital admissions, data were recorded in respect of the complaint of pain. Eighty-six (38%) had pain. Fourty-four (19%) mentioned it spontaneously and 49 (22%) had no relevant physical cause. Women were affected more often than men (P less than 0.01) and tended to complain more often of severe pain (P less than 0.01). Severe pain was more often reported spontaneously (P less than 0.02). Also, the longer pain lasted the more likely the patient was to report it spontaneously (P less than 0.02). Men more often had a relevant physical diagnosis (P less than 0.05) and the low back was the commonest site of pain in them. Pain was relatively often associated with diagnoses of anxiety and personality disorder and relatively infrequently with schizophrenia, organic brain syndromes and transient situational disturbances. It is concluded that whilst there is a strong association between pain and psychiatric illness, this is less prominent, paradoxically, in some of the more severe psychiatric disturbances.

The purpose of this preliminary study was to investigate the effects of certain antianxiety agents, that is, minor tranquilizers, sedatives, and hypnotics, on relaxation training. Twelve inpatients and two outpatients were referred to group relaxation training because of tension-anxiety complaints and underwent three training sessions. Results for those patients who were not having any psychotropic medication (Relaxation Only group) were compared with results for those who were receiving anxiolytic drugs (Medication-Relaxation group). Patients in the second group were on antianxiety medication prior to and during relaxation training. Self-report measures indicate that the Relaxation Only group benefited more from relaxation training and showed more treatment generalization effects. The results are interpreted as lending some support to the view that antianxiety drugs may have an interfering effect on relaxation training. Implications and limitations of the study are discussed.