DEPRESSION AND PAIN BEHAVIOR IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC PAIN

Objective: Previous studies of pain behavior in patients with chronic pain have shown that depressed patients exhibit more pain behavior tha n nondepressed patients. This study sought to extend these findings an d to examine the possible causes of the observed differences. Design: Patients completed the short form of the Beck Depression Inventory, an d their pain behavior was simultaneously rated by themselves and train ed observers. Patients: Subjects were 37 inpatients in a chronic pain program. Results: Both depressed and nondepressed subjects rated thems elves as exhibiting more pain behavior than did nurse ratings. While n urses rated pain behaviors as similar among the depressed and the nond epressed groups, patient ratings indicated significantly more pain beh avior among depressed than nondepressed patients. Conclusions: These r esults suggest that cognitive factors may influence self-ratings of pa in behavior by depressed subjects.