Clinical depression can creep up softly, enveloping it's victim, leaving them shrouded in pain. For some the pain is physical as well as emotional. In fact, experts have long recognized an association between chronic pain and clinical depression. In a new study published in The Journal of Pain, researchers at Wayne State University have found that the connection is strongest in middle age women and African Americans.
They studied a representative community sample of 1,100 Michigan residents and found that the incidence of chronic pain, defined as pain persisting for six months, was 22 percent. Approximately 35 percent of those with chronic pain said they had depression, but mood problems were not associated with a particular pain condition or pain site. From the data, the authors concluded that in middle-age women, chronic pain might not be the cause of depression but preexisting mood problems could be associated with development of chronic pain. Depression can aso increase vulnerability to experiencing persistent pain.
The study also showed that African Americans were more likely to experience chronic pain with depression than Caucasians. Thesel differences were not attributable to socioeconomic factors but might be associated with differences in the use of pain coping strategies. Though income was not a significant risk factor for the study, the authors found that occupational factors, such as physically demanding work and poor or no health insurance coverage, may account for the link between lower socioeconomic status and pain, and that financial strain and stress are closely linked with depression.
If you are suffering from depression or chronic pain, don't go it alone, seek help. Both conditions are treatable.
0 comments:
Post a Comment