skip to content
Dovepress - Open Access to Scientific and Medical Research
View our mobile site

8852

Life satisfaction in patients with chronic pain – relation to pain intensity, disability, and psychological factors

Original Research

(1068) Views  (261) Full article downloads

Authors: Stålnacke BM

Published Date November 2011 Volume 2011:7(1) Pages 683 - 689
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/NDT.S25321

Britt-Marie Stålnacke
Department of Community Medicine and Rehabilitation, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden

Aims: To investigate pain intensity, posttraumatic stress, depression, anxiety, disability, and life satisfaction in patients with injury-related chronic pain and to analyze differences in these variables regarding gender.
Methods: Questionnaires addressing pain intensity (visual analogue scale [VAS]), anxiety and depression (hospital anxiety and depression [HAD] scale), posttraumatic stress (impact of event scale), disability (disability rating index, and life satisfaction [LiSat-11]) were answered by 160 patients at assessment at the Pain Rehabilitation Clinic at the Umeå University Hospital (Umeå, Sweden).
Results: High level of pain intensity was scored on the VAS (mean value 64.5 ± 21.1 mm) together with high levels of anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress. Activity limitations in everyday life and decreased life satisfaction were reported, especially on the items physical health and psychological health. A multivariate logistic regression model showed a statistically significant association between low scores on the overall life satisfaction on LiSat-11 and high scores on HAD-depression (odds ratio = 1.141, confidence interval 1.014–1.285). Few gender differences were found.
Conclusion: These findings highlight the value of a broad screening in patients with injury-related chronic pain with respect to the relationship of life satisfaction with pain intensity, anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress, and disability. In addition, these findings support the biopsychosocial approach to assess and treat these patients optimally.

Keywords: whiplash injuries, depression, quality of life





 

Other articles by Dr Britt-Marie Stalnacke



Readers of this article also read:

Pupillography of automated swinging flashlight test in amblyopia
Prevalence of risk factors, coronary and systemic atherosclerosis in abdominal aortic aneurysm: Comparison with high cardiovascular risk population
Role of aliskiren in cardio-renal protection and use in hypertensives with multiple risk factors
Erratum
Ginkgo biloba extract in the treatment of tinnitus: a systematic review
Incidence and impact of pain conditions and comorbid illnesses
Predisposition for borderline personality disorder with comorbid major depression is associated with that for polycystic ovary syndrome in female Japanese population
Association between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and depression and the effect of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment
Rapid improvement of depressive symptoms in suicide attempters following treatment with milnacipran and tricyclic antidepressants – a case series
The occurrence of adverse drug reactions reported for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medications in the pediatric population: a qualitative review of empirical studies