Impact of pain and catastrophizing on the long-term course of depression in the general population: the HUNT pain study

Depression in persons with disabilities: a scoping review

Individuals with disabilities are more vulnerable to depression development than the general population. This study sought to map the evidence on current knowledge of depression, intervention strategies, and assessment tools among people with disabilities. This review was conducted following Arksey and O'Malley's scoping review methodology framework. An electronic search was performed on four English databases: PubMed, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, and Web of Science. The original search returned 1802 results, with 1,116 from Web of Science, 626 from PubMed, 25 from Cochrane, and 35 from PsycINFO. After removing duplicates, 786 articles were chosen for the title and abstract screening processes. Finally, 112 full-text publications were deemed eligible, with 41 papers being included in this scoping review for analysis. A large proportion (32; 78.04%) of the studies chosen were cross-sectional, 14 (34.14%) of them reported general disability, 12 (29.26%) used a patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9) to measure depression, and 14 (34.14%) had interventions, including cognitive behavioral therapy, psychological counseling, social support, and physical activity. All interventions successfully reduced the severity of the depression. Cognitive behavioral therapies and psychological counseling were widely used interventions that had a significant impact on reducing depression. More randomized controlled trials are required, and they should focus on individuals with specific disabilities to provide disability-specific care that can improve the quality of life for disabled individuals.

Pain Catastrophizing: Controversies, Misconceptions and Future Directions

Recent reports have pointed to problems with the term "pain catastrophizing." Critiques of the term pain catastrophizing have come from several sources including individuals with chronic pain, advocates for individuals with chronic pain, and pain scholars. Reports indicate that the term has been used to dismiss the medical basis of pain complaints, to question the authenticity of pain complaints, and to blame individuals with pain for their pain condition. In this paper, we advance the position that the problems prompting calls to rename the construct of pain catastrophizing have little to do with the term, and as such, changing the term will do little to solve these problems. We argue that continued calls for changing or deleting the term pain catastrophizing will only divert attention away from some fundamental flaws in how individuals with pain conditions are assessed and treated. Some of these fundamental flaws have their roots in the inadequate training of health and allied health professionals in evidence-based models of pain, in the use of psychological assessment and intervention tools for the clinical management of pain, and in gender equity and antiracism. Critiques that pain scholars have leveled against the defining, operational, and conceptual bases of pain catastrophizing are also addressed. Arguments for reconceptualizing pain catastrophizing as a worry-related construct are discussed. Recommendations are made for remediation of the problems that have contributed to calls to rename the term pain catastrophizing. PERSPECTIVE: The issues prompting calls to rename the construct of pain catastrophizing have their roots in fundamental flaws in how individuals with pain are assessed and treated. Efforts to address these problems will require more than a simple change in terminology.

Impact of painful physical symptoms on first-episode major depressive disorder in adults with subthreshold depressive symptoms: A prospective cohort study

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the impact of baseline painful physical symptoms (PPS) on subsequent first-episode major depressive disorder (MDD) in adults with subthreshold depressive symptoms, including subgroup analyses to assess whether the associations differ in individuals with and without physical diseases.

METHODS

A total of 2343 adults with subthreshold depressive symptoms were recruited at 34 primary health care centers. PPS were measured at baseline. First-episode MDD during follow-up was diagnosed by professional psychiatrists using the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview.

RESULTS

Baseline PPS showed independent impacts on first-episode MDD in adults with subthreshold depressive symptoms without physical diseases, but not in those with physical diseases. A non-linear association (P < 0.001) was observed between PPS burden and the risk of first-episode MDD. The HRs for first-episode MDD exhibited a rapidly increasing trend between PPS burden scores of 10-16, and maintained consistently high when scores exceeded 16. The analyses for specific PPS revealed that headache, neck pain, and heart or chest pain were independently associated with first-episode MDD in participants without physical diseases, the HRs were 1.57 (1.15-2.36), 1.53 (1.02-2.30), and 1.69 (1.14-2.50), respectively. Further network analysis demonstrated that heart or chest pain serves as a bridge symptom among the seven specific PPS and first-episode MDD in those without physical diseases.

CONCLUSION

PPS burden and heart or chest pain may be significant indicators for first-episode MDD in adults with subthreshold depressive symptoms without physical diseases. Future studies should investigate whether interventions targeting PPS can prevent episode MDD in this subthreshold population.

Socioeconomic status, mental health, and nutrition are the principal traits for low back pain phenotyping: Data from the osteoarthritis initiative

Background

Low back pain (LBP) is a heterogeneous disease with biological, physical, and psychosocial etiologies. Models for predicting LBP severity and chronicity have not made a clinical impact, perhaps due to difficulty deciphering multidimensional phenotypes. In this study, our objective was to develop a computational framework to comprehensively screen metrics related to LBP severity and chronicity and identify the most influential.

Methods

We identified individuals from the observational, longitudinal Osteoarthritis Initiative cohort (N = 4796) who reported LBP at enrollment (N = 215). OAI descriptor variables (N = 1190) were used to cluster individuals via unsupervised learning and uncover latent LBP phenotypes. We also developed a dimensionality reduction algorithm to visualize clusters/phenotypes using Uniform Manifold Approximation and Projection (UMAP). Next, to predict chronicity, we identified those with acute LBP (N = 40) and persistent LBP over 8 years of follow-up (N = 66) and built logistic regression and supervised machine learning models.

Results

We identified three LBP phenotypes: a "high socioeconomic status, low pain severity group", a "low socioeconomic status, high pain severity group", and an intermediate group. Mental health and nutrition were also key clustering variables, while traditional biomedical factors (e.g., age, sex, BMI) were not. Those who developed chronic LBP were differentiated by higher pain interference and lower alcohol consumption (a correlate to poor physical fitness and lower soceioeconomic status). All models for predicting chronicity had satisfactory performance (accuracy 76%-78%).

Conclusions

We developed a computational pipeline capable of screening hundreds of variables and visualizing LBP cohorts. We found that socioeconomic status, mental health, nutrition, and pain interference were more influential in LBP than traditional biomedical descriptors like age, sex, and BMI.

Relationships Between Abdominal Pain, Mental Health, and Functional Disability in Youth With Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: Pain Catastrophizing as a Longitudinal Mediator

OBJECTIVES

Abdominal pain can be a debilitating symptom for youth with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs). Across various pediatric conditions, pain predicts adverse physical and mental health outcomes. Understanding mechanisms by which pain impacts outcomes is of critical importance to enhance the well-being of those with IBDs. Pain catastrophizing mediates the aforementioned relationships in other pediatric populations, but little research has examined its role in pediatric IBDs. Attention to the role of pain catastrophizing as a potential mediator in pediatric IBD is the important given unique elements of the pain experience for this population. This study aimed to examine pain catastrophizing as a potential mediator of the relationship between abdominal pain and adverse outcomes in youth with IBDs.

METHODS

Seventy six youth (ages 11 to 18; M [SD] age=14.71 [1.80]) with IBD completed the Abdominal Pain Index (T1), Pain Catastrophizing Scale (T2, week 12), Revised Children's Anxiety and Depression Scale (T3, week 20), and Functional Disability Inventory (T3, week 20).

RESULTS

Catastrophizing mediated the relationship between abdominal pain and both anxiety symptoms ( b =1.61, Bias-Corrected Accelerated [BCa] CI, 0.25, 4.62) and functional disability ( b =0.77, BCa CI, 0.15, 2.38). A direct effect of abdominal pain on low mood was also noted ( b =1.17, BCa CI, 0.03, 2.50). Post hoc analyses examining mediation via catastrophizing subscales indicated that while magnification and rumination functioned as mediators, helplessness did not.

DISCUSSION

Findings are consistent with fear avoidance models and suggest that interventions directed at pain catastrophizing may be worthwhile in pediatric IBD populations, given catastrophizing-mediated relationships between pain and mental and physical health outcomes.

Can Internet-Delivered Pain Management Programs Reduce Psychological Distress in Chronic Pain? Exploring Relationships Between Anxiety and Depression, Pain Intensity, and Disability

Background

Adults with chronic pain who also report high pain intensity and disability are more likely to experience depression and anxiety symptoms. The present study examined changes in anxiety and depression symptoms after an Internet-delivered pain management program based on baseline pain intensity and disability severity categories.

Methods

We conducted a secondary analysis of data from four randomized controlled trials (N = 1,333).

Results

Greater pain intensity and disability were associated with increased odds of elevated anxiety or depression symptoms at baseline. Treatment led to greater reductions in anxiety and depression symptoms compared with a waitlist control, and these improvements occurred irrespective of baseline pain intensity or disability severity. Those individuals who reported ≥30% improvements in pain intensity or disability after treatment were more likely to also report ≥30% improvements in psychological symptoms. Importantly, most participants who achieved ≥30% improvements in depression and anxiety had not experienced such improvements in pain intensity or disability.

Conclusion

These findings suggest that emerging Internet-delivered pain management programs can lead to reductions in psychological distress even when pain intensity and disability are severe or do not improve with treatment. This indicates the value of such treatments in treating distress and improving mental health in people with chronic pain.

Psychosocial Predictors of Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain Outcomes and their Contextual Determinants Among Black Individuals: A Narrative Review

Black communities are disproportionally affected by Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain (CMP), but little is known about the psychological predictors of CMP outcomes and their contextual determinants among Black individuals. To address this gap, we conducted a narrative review of extant literature to (1) report the major conceptual models mentioned in prior work explaining the link between contextual determinants and psychological responses to pain among Black individuals with CMP; and (2) describe psychological factors related to CMP outcomes in this population that are highlighted in the literature. We searched 4 databases (APA PsycNet, PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Google Scholar) using the following search terms: musculoskeletal pain, chronic pain, mental health, psychological, coping, health disparities, contextual factors, conceptual models, psychosocial, Black, African American, pain, disability, and outcomes. We illustrate 3 relevant conceptual models - socioecological, cumulative stress, and biopsychosocial - related to contextual determinants and several psychological factors that influence CMP outcomes among Black individuals: (1) disproportionate burden of mental health and psychiatric diagnoses, (2) distinct coping strategies, (3) pain-related perceived injustice and perceived racial/ethnic discrimination, and (4) preferences and expectations related to seeking and receiving pain care. The detailed clinical and research implications could serve as a blueprint for the providers and clinical researchers to address health disparities and improve care for Black individuals with CMP. PERSPECTIVE: This narrative review illustrates conceptual models explaining the link between contextual determinants and psychological responses to pain among Black individuals with chronic musculoskeletal pain. We discuss 3 relevant conceptual models - socioecological, cumulative stress, biopsychosocial -, and 4 psychological factors: disproportionate burden of mental health, distinct coping strategies, perceived injustice/discrimination, preferences/expectations.

Anxiety, Depression, Chronic Pain, and Quality of Life Among Older Adults in Rural China: An Observational, Cross-Sectional, Multi-Center Study

PURPOSE

To determine the incidence of anxiety and depression and examine their cross-sectional associations with chronic pain and quality of life among older adults in rural China.

DESIGN

Observational, multi-center, cross-sectional study.

METHODS

A structured, self-report questionnaire was administered. Descriptive statistics analysis and stepwise multiple linear regression analysis were performed.

FINDINGS

244 participants (female: 47.1%) filled out the questionnaires. 87 (35.7%) had symptoms of anxiety and 123 (50.4%) had symptoms of depression. The sensory pain descriptor, affective pain descriptor, physical component summary, and mental component summary significantly influenced symptoms of anxiety while affective pain descriptor, physical component summary, and mental component summary significantly influenced symptoms of depression.

CONCLUSION

Subjective pain experiences and QoL, including physical and mental domains, are strongly related to symptoms of anxiety and depression among older adults in rural China.

CLINICAL EVIDENCE

Interventions that highlight subjective pain experiences and QoL may help to relieve symptoms of anxiety and depression in older adults.

Risk-targeted behavioral activation for the management of work disability associated with comorbid pain and depression: a feasibility study

Purpose

The purpose of the present study was to conduct a preliminary evaluation of the feasibility and impact of a risk-targeted behavioral activation intervention for work-disabled individuals with comorbid pain and depression.

Methods

The design of the study was a single-arm non-randomized trial. The sample consisted of 66 work-disabled individuals with comorbid pain and depression. The treatment program consisted of a 10-week standardized behavioral activation intervention supplemented by techniques to target two psychosocial risk factors for delayed recovery, namely, catastrophic thinking and perceptions of injustice. Measures of pain severity, depression, catastrophic thinking, perceived injustice, and self-reported disability were completed pre-, mid-, and post-treatment. Satisfaction with treatment was assessed at post-treatment. Return to work was assessed at 6-month follow-up.

Results

The drop-out rate was 18%. At treatment termination, 91% of participants indicated that they were “very” or “completely” satisfied with their involvement in the treatment program. Significant reductions in pain (Cohen’s d = 0.71), depression (d = 0.86), catastrophic thinking (d = 1.1), and perceived injustice (d = 1.0) were observed through the course of treatment. In multivariate analyses, treatment-related reductions in depression, catastrophic thinking, and perceived injustice, but not pain, contributed significant unique variance to the prediction of return-to-work outcomes.

Conclusions

Risk-targeted behavioral activation was found to be an acceptable and effective intervention for work-disabled individuals with comorbid pain and depression. The findings suggest that interventions targeting psychosocial risk factors for pain and depression might contribute to more positive recovery outcomes in work-disabled individuals with comorbid pain and depression.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT0517442. Retrospectively registered.