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Related Experiment Videos

Does chronic pain predict future psychological distress?

John McBeth1, Gary J Macfarlane, Alan J Silman

  • 1Arthritis Research Campaign (ARC) Epidemiology Unit, School of Epidemiology and Health Sciences, Stopford Building, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK Unit of Chronic Disease Epidemiology, School of Epidemiology and Health Sciences, Stopford Building, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK.

Pain
|April 26, 2002
PubMed
Summary

Chronic widespread pain is linked to psychological distress, but this connection disappears when other health issues are considered. The study suggests distress arises from a combination of pain and other factors, not pain alone.

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Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Epidemiology
  • Pain Medicine

Background:

  • Cross-sectional studies show a link between chronic widespread pain and psychological distress.
  • Previous research suggests chronic pain may predict future distress.
  • Confounding factors like physical and psychological comorbidities may influence this relationship.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To test if chronic widespread pain predicts future psychological distress.
  • To adjust for confounding factors in the pain-distress relationship.
  • To determine if pain itself, or its associated features, drives distress.

Main Methods:

  • Population-based survey of 1953 individuals.
  • Baseline assessment of chronic widespread pain, psychological status, and comorbidities.

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  • 12-month follow-up to measure psychological distress.

    • Main Results:

    • Chronic widespread pain at baseline predicted higher distress at follow-up (OR=4.0).
    • This association remained after adjusting for baseline distress (OR=3.0).
    • After adjusting for comorbidities, the association between chronic widespread pain and future distress was no longer significant (OR=1.5).

    Conclusions:

    • Chronic widespread pain is associated with increased psychological distress.
    • The link between chronic widespread pain and future distress is explained by comorbid physical and psychosocial factors.
    • Distress in individuals with chronic widespread pain appears to stem from a combination of pain and other health issues, rather than pain in isolation.