Depression and Anxiety as Mediators of PTSD Symptom Clusters and Pain in Treatment-Seeking Canadian Forces Members...

Chronic pain (CP) commonly presents alongside psychiatric conditions such as depression, PTSD, and generalized anxiety. The current study sought to better understand this complex relationship by determining whether anxiety and depression symptom severity mediated the relationship between DSM-5 PTSD symptom clusters and pain symptoms in a sample of 663 Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) personnel and veterans seeking treatment for mental health conditions.

Generalized anxiety disorder, depression, and PTSD symptom severity were measured using self-report scales provided as part of a standard intake protocol. Pain symptoms were measured using the Bodily Pain subscale of the SF-36 (SF-36 BPS). Linear regressions were used to explore the relationship between PTSD symptom clusters, depression, anxiety, and pain. Bootstrapped resampling analyses were employed to test mediation effects.

The average SF-36 BPS score in this sample was 36.6, nearly 1.5 SDs below the population health status, enforcing the salience of pain symptoms as a concern for veterans and CAF seeking treatment for military-related psychiatric conditions. The effects of PTSD symptom clusters avoidance, negative mood and cognitions, and arousal on pain were fully mediated by anxiety and depression severity. However, the effect of intrusion on pain was not mediated by depression and only partly mediated by anxiety.

Findings emphasize the importance of including anxiety and depression in models of PTSD and pain, particularly in samples where psychiatric comorbidity is high. Clinically, results highlight the need for improved treatment regimens that address pain symptoms alongside common psychiatric comorbidities.