O-17 Factors Associated with Depressive Symptoms among Persons with Chronic Pain
Author(s):
J Morris , R Gibson , G Lowe , C Sewell , J Martin , K Metalor , R Augier
Year of Presentation:
2025
Objective: To explore associations between patient characteristics, pain severity and depressive symptoms in patients
with chronic pain.
Methods: Participants were recruited from the pain clinic of a general hospital in Kingston, Jamaica. Patients with chronic pain were administered sociodemographic and clinical questionnaires, as well as the Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II). Associations of interest were analyzed with Chi square, correlation, Mann Whitney U, Kruskal Wallis and linear regression analyses as appropriate.
Results: Participants (n = 43) were mostly female (79.1%) with a median (IQR) age of 47 (22) years. Sixteen percent of participants either had borderline clinical depression or moderate depression. Significantly higher (p < 0.05) BDI scores were found among persons whose pain adversely affected their relationships and who had a previous history of depression. Significantly lower (p < 0.05) BDI scores were found among persons who used religion to cope.
Conclusion: To help identify those persons with chronic pain who are susceptible to depression, clinicians should routinely inquire about the impact of their pain on their relationships and a previous history of depression. They should also encourage their patients who may be so inclined to use religion as a coping strategy.