40 per cent of adults with chronic pain may have anxiety, depression: Study

About 40 per cent of adults experiencing chronic persistent pain could also have anxiety or depression a study has foundIt observed that women youngsters and those suffering from nociplastic pain such as fibromyalgia are most likely to experience such painNociplastic pain arises from changes in how ones central nervous system processes pain Fibromyalgia is a condition marked by widespread body ache and tenderness along with fatigue and mood and sleep disordersDuring the study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association JAMA Network Open the researchers reviewed 376 surveys involving nearly 35 lakh people from across 50 countries The participants were aged about 50 years on average and about 70 per cent were womenThe most commonly reported chronic pain conditions in the study included fibromyalgia low back pain and rheumatoid arthritis inflammation of joints Pain is said to be chronic if it persists beyond a maximum of three monthsIn this systematic review and metaanalysis of depression and anxiety among individuals with chronic pain approximately 40 per cent of adults had clinically significant depression and anxiety the authors wroteTherefore a mental health screening of patients with chronic pain is critical they saidWhile acute pain can be caused by an injury or surgery its transition to chronic pain has psychological undertones according to the biopsychosocial model of painDeveloped in the 1970s the model suggests that ones experience of pain in response to an external trigger is a complex interplay of biological psychological social and cultural factorsWomen are considered especially vulnerable to chronic pain owing to varied factors including hormonal cycles and heightened emotional responsesFurther women younger people and people with nociplastic pain arising from changes in how one perceives pain were most likely to have depression and anxiety the authors wroteAccording to a 2023 roundup article on pain research in The Lancet journal the biopsychosocial risk factors of poor sleep despondency tiredness stress and a Body Mass Index of over 30 were the most important reasons for localised pain progressing into chronic painWhile treatments commonly involve antiinflammatory drugs and prescription medicines such as antidepressants and opioids experts strongly recommend psychotherapy sessions as wellTreatments for the most common types of chronic pain Examples fibromyalgia chronic low back pain have limited impact on pain intensity meaning many people will live with their pain longterm said Dr Bronwyn Thompson senior lecturer department of orthopaedic surgery and musculoskeletal medicine University of Otago New Zealand He was not involved in the studyDr Debbie Bean a health psychologist and senior lecturer Auckland University of Technology New Zealand said living with chronic pain can affect many aspects of ones life including work and social relationshipsPeople with chronic pain can also experience stigma where others dont take their pain seriously or they may even feel disbelieved or judged for their pain So it is not just the pain itself but the effects it has on a persons life that mean that chronic pain can lead to both anxiety and depression said Dr Bean who was not involved in the reviewFurther given that depression and anxiety can influence how bodys nervous system responds to painful experiences the two problems chronic pain and poor mental health can become a vicious cycle Dr Bean saidThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever