The association between chronic widespread pain and mental disorder: A population-based study

Abstract

Objective. Patients with chronic widespread pain (CWP) have been reported to have a greater prevalence of mental disorders and somatization than that found in the general population, but the true association between CWP and mental disorders is unknown. In this study, we investigated whether there is an increased prevalence of mental disorder in people with CWP from the general population. We also describe the psychiatric diagnoses associated with CWP. Methods. In a population-based case-control study, 1,953 subjects (75% of a random sample of individuals age 18-65 years) completed a questionnaire that included a pain assessment and the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). Of 710 subjects scoring >1 on the GHQ-12, 301 were assessed further using a structured psychiatric interview and detailed assessment of medical records to identify cases of mental disorder, in accordance with criteria of the 10th edition of the International Classification of Diseases. The association between CWP and mental disorder was modeled using logistic regression, adjusting for possible confounders including age, sex, and nonresponders. Results. We estimated the overall population prevalence of mental illness to be 11.9%. The odds of having a mental disorder for subjects with versus those without CWP were 3.18 (95% confidence interval 1.97-5.11). Most subjects with mental disorders were diagnosed as having mood and anxiety disorders. Only 3 cases of somatoform disorders were identified, and all were associated with pain. Conclusion. This study, although unable to demonstrate a cause-and-effect relationship, showed that 16.9% of those with CWP were estimated to have a psychiatric diagnosis, suggesting that these disorders should be identified and treated.

Influence of Work Duration or Physical Symptoms on Mental Health among Japanese Visual Display Terminal Users

“…Previous studies investigated the relationship of VDT use to physical or mental symptoms 4,8) . Although physical symptoms such as pain were found to be related to mental disorders 12,13) , the role of physical symptoms in the mental health of VDT users has yet to be elucidated. Therefore, we conducted a survey evaluating mental health status, and examined the relationship of the duration of daily VDT use, rest and breaks during VDT work, eyestrain, and musculoskeletal pain to the mental health of VDT users in Japan.…”

A twin study of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and chronic widespread pain

“…Despite a growing body of literature, the etiology and pathophysiology of CWP remain poorly understood. Recently, several studies have documented that CWP and FM are strongly associated both with the symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Walter et al 1998;White et al 2002;Wolfe and Skevington 2000) and with the clinically diagnosed disorder itself (Benedikt and Kolb 1986;Benjamin et al 2000;Cohen et al 2002;Roy-Byrne et al 2004). Conversely, high rates of CWP and FM also have been observed among persons with PTSD (Amir et al 1997;Dobie et al 2004;Raphael et al 2004).…”

“…Results from population-based studies, however, have substantiated both the existence and the strength of the association (Benjamin et al 2000;Buchwald et al 2005). Additionally, both PTSD and FM are thought to be partially heritable.…”

•Chronic pain, psychological factors and depression

“…16 İngiltere'de yapılan epidemiyolojik bir araştırmada kronik ağrı ve psikiyatrik tanı birlikteliği %16.9 olarak saptanmıştır. 17 Kronik ağrılar çalışma, ev hayatı ve sosyal hayatta bozulmalara, daha önce zevk alınan aktivitelerden uzak kalmaya, itibar ve iş kaybına, yaşam kalitesinde düşüklü-ğe neden olarak psikiyatrik belirti ve bulgulara yol açabilmektedir. 18 Depresif Bozukluklar başta olmak üzere "Anksiyete Bozuklukları, Somatoform Bozukluklar, Psikozlar, Kişilik Bozuklukları, Travma Sonrası Stres Bozukluğu" tanıları kronik ağrılı hastalarda sıklıkla eştanı olarak karşımıza çıkmaktadır.…”