4 in 10 adults with chronic pain report depression, anxiety

Approximately 40 percent of adults with chronic pain experience depression or anxiety, according to a review published online March 7 in JAMA Network Open.

Rachel V. Aaron, Ph.D., from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, and colleagues conducted a systematic literature review to evaluate the prevalence of depression and anxiety among adults with chronic pain, as well as factors that moderate prevalence.

Based on 376 studies (50 countries and 347,468 individuals), the researchers found that among adults with chronic pain, clinical symptoms of depression were present in 39.3 percent (I² = 98.9 percent) and clinical symptoms of anxiety were present in 40.2 percent (I² = 99.0 percent).

Prevalence varied with pain condition (highest for fibromyalgia [depression, 54.0 percent; anxiety, 55.5 percent] and lowest for arthritis conditions [depression, 29.1 percent; anxiety, 17.5 percent]). Prevalence was also higher among younger people (depression, β = −0.02; anxiety, β = −0.02) and women (depression, β = 0.69; anxiety, β = 0.90).

“This study suggests that the prevalences of depression and anxiety among adults with chronic pain are approximately 40 percent,” the authors write. “To address this significant public health concern, it is essential to routinely screen for mental health symptoms in clinical settings where people with chronic pain are treated.”

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