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Relationship of psychiatric history to pain reports in rheumatoid arthritis
Catherine G Frantom1, Jerry C Parker, Karen L Smarr
1Frazier Rehabilitation and Neurosciences Center, Louisville, Kentucky, USA.
Objective:
The purpose was to examine the relationship of pre-existing psychiatric history to pain reports in a cohort of persons with RA and concomitant major depression who were receiving a trial of antidepressant medication.
Method:
RA patients (n = 41) with a current episode of major depression were divided into two subgroups comprised of those with a previous psychiatric history (PSY+) (n = 20) and those without a previous psychiatric history (PSY-) (n = 21). The groups were compared with regard to their responsiveness to a regimen of antidepressive medication on measures of depression, pain, coping, and life stress over a period of 15 months.
Results:
Although depression scores for both the PSY+ and the PSY- groups decreased significantly from baseline to 15-month follow-up, the composite pain score was found to be significantly decreased only for the PSY- group.
Conclusion:
Psychiatric history appears to predispose persons with concomitant RA and major depression to report less pain reduction following antidepressive treatment than those persons without a psychiatric history.
