Mental and functional disabilities in patients with chronic pain

Introduction Pain has a significant impact on a person’s quality of life, limiting general activity (work, social interaction, problems with family relationships, hobbies/interests, self-care ability), contributing to the development of mental disorders such as depression and anxiety. Objectives Our study aimed to determine the level of anxiety, depression, and functional disabilities caused by chronic pain among outpatients in order to further dynamic research of the long-term consequences. Methods The study group included 85 outpatients with chronic pain. As a part of psychiatric screening, the HADS depression and anxiety scale was used to study psychopathological symptoms. The WHO self-questionnaire WHODAS 2.0 was used to study the dysfunction caused by chronic pain. Results The study found that a significant part of patients with chronic pain had symptoms of anxiety 38% and depression 46% of varying severity. The medial WHODAS 2.0 score among all patients with pain and patients with comorbid depression and anxiety was 23.62 (95% CI: 21.19-24.63), 32.80 (95% CI: 30.33-35.16), and 34.35 (95% CI: 32.11-37.60), respectively. Disability was significantly higher in patients with depression (1.72, p <0.01) and anxiety symptoms (1.60, p <0.01) than in patients with chronic pain without anxiety and depression. Conclusions Effective treatment of chronic pain requires a comprehensive approach using psychotherapeutic, psychopharmacological, and physical therapy. Disclosure of Interest None Declared