Association Between Depression and Acute Pain in Adults Attending a Tertiary Care Hospital in Bhubaneswar

BACKGROUND: Recent burden on health care organization due to acute pain and simultaneous rise in the depression cases have been ringing alarms among the medical professionals. AIMS: This study was taken up with a hypothesis that acute pain and depression are inter-linked and any acute painful condition leads to some behavioural and psycho-somatic effects which needs to be detected at the earliest possible. SETTINGS AND DESIGNS: This relationship was established by designing a cross-sectional study where four most common causes of acute pain (i.e. post-labour, post-caesarean, postoperative, dental conditions) were studied in 70 subjects each and compared with 70 subjects of control group who presented to a tertiary care hospital in Bhubaneswar, without any painful condition or underlying depression. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Various pain scales (Visual Analogue Scale- VAS, Verbal Rating Scale - VRS, Box Scale) were used to assess the degree of pain while Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) was used to assess the level of depression in these subjects. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Using SPSS version 16 software, the correlation coefficient was determined between the depression levels and acute pain. RESULTS: It was seen that the geriatric populations were more depressed, while the older adults perceived more pain. The females differed from males in their pain perception; they were more depressed and proved to be more tolerant to painful conditions such as post-partum acute painful conditions. Dental pain was found to be the second most reported painful condition after postoperative acute pain. A statistically significant strong correlation was established between depression and acute pain. CONCLUSION: Thus the psychosomatic component of pain needs to be evaluated on a priority basis by health providers.