Cross-sectional study of the association between pain and depression in patients with brachial plexopathy

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between pain and depression in patients with brachial plexopathy. METHODS: Analytical cross-sectional study based on an online survey of patients with a diagnosis of brachial plexopathy in Latin America. Pain was measured using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Depression was measured with the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). To evaluate the association between both variables, Poisson regression was used to calculate crude (cPR) and adjusted (aPR) prevalence ratios. RESULTS: 102 patients were included with a mean age of 33.9 years and the majority were male (78.4%). The median pain according to VAS was 8 [IQR: 5–9] and 65.7% presented severe pain. The prevalence of depression was 59.8%. Each point increase in VAS pain was associated with a 13% higher prevalence of depression (aPR: 1.13; 95% CI 1.04–1.23). Other factors associated with an increased prevalence of depression were female sex (aPR: 1.65; 95% CI 1.24–2.19) and previous depressive disorder (aPR: 1.46; 95% CI 1.05–2.03). CONCLUSION: Patients with brachial plexopathy suffer mostly from severe pain and the prevalence of depression is high. Greater pain is associated with higher prevalence of depression. Screening and a multidisciplinary approach, including mental health care, should be considered in recovery programs for these patients.