Prevalence and predictors of pain in patients with major depressive disorder

Pain is common in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). This paper aimed to determine the prevalence of and examine the predictors of pain in patients with MDD.

This study was conducted at a university hospital. The prevalence of pain in adult outpatients with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition MDD was compared with that in a matched age and sex control group of general patients in the waiting area within the hospital. Depression and pain were measured using the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D) and a 10-point rating scale for pain (RSP) (from no pain at all to the most severe pain), respectively.

Forty MDD and 40 general patients with matched age and sex (controls) participated in this study. Compared with the control group (47.5%), 95% of MDD patients had pain (p<0.001). The RSP scores of MDD patients were significantly higher than those of the controls (p<0.001). The mean number of pain locations was also significantly larger than in the MDD patients (p<0.001). Among the 11 male and 29 female patients with MDD, the multiple linear regression analysis revealed that the HAM-D score and history of sexual assault were significant predictors of pain.

The present findings suggest that, compared with general patients, individuals with MDD have more pain in terms of the prevalence, severity, and number of locations. Severe depression and history of sexual assault are predictors of pain in MDD patients. Pain and depression are highly correlated and should be taken into account in individuals with these symptoms.