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Author Spotlight: Quantifying Pain Experience – An Illustrative Approach Using the Pain Body Diagram
Published on: July 7, 2023
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[Enduring pain I. Nosology and epidemiology]
Daniel V Vigo1, Valerio Selle, Ross Baldessarini
1Proyecto Suma - Salud Mental, Buenos Aires, Argentina. daniel@vigo.com.ar.
Vertex (Buenos Aires, Argentina)
|December 7, 2013
Summary
Pain disorders frequently co-occur with psychiatric conditions like depression and anxiety. Comprehensive, multidisciplinary care is essential for effectively managing these complex pain-psychiatric patients.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Pain Medicine
- Clinical Psychology
Context:
- Pain disorders are highly prevalent and often comorbid with psychiatric conditions such as depression and anxiety.
- Current diagnostic criteria may oversimplify the complex interplay between pain and psychiatric symptoms.
- Existing treatments for chronic pain are often inadequate, necessitating a more integrated approach.
Purpose:
- To examine the nosological perspectives and clinical consequences of comorbid pain and psychiatric disorders.
- To highlight the epidemiological evidence linking painful and affective/anxious syndromes.
- To advocate for a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to managing patients with chronic pain and psychiatric comorbidities.
Summary:
- The high comorbidity between pain and psychiatric disorders, coupled with suboptimal treatments, calls for a holistic assessment and management strategy.
- Multidisciplinary teams, including specialists in internal medicine, neurology, pain management, rehabilitation, psychology, and psychiatry, are crucial.
- Psychiatrists can play a pivotal role in leading the comprehensive care of challenging pain-psychiatric patients.
Impact:
- Emphasizes the need for integrated care models that address both the physical and psychological aspects of chronic pain.
- Suggests a re-evaluation of current diagnostic and treatment paradigms for complex pain syndromes.
- Positions psychiatry as a key discipline in improving outcomes for patients with comorbid pain and psychiatric disorders.
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