Personality assessment of patients with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome type I

Objective: There is controversy regarding the importance of psychological/p sychiatric factors in the development of the Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). Our objective was to determine whether CRPS type I patients were p sychiatrically different from other chronic pain patients, with particular attention to personality pathology. Design: A standardized clinical assessment of all major psychiatric categor ies, including personality disorders, was performed on 25 CRPS type I patie nts and a control group of 25 patients with chronic low back pain from disc -related radiculopathy. Measures: Both sections of the Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagno stic and Statistical Manual (3rd ed., rev.) and the visual analog scale. Results: Both groups were similar in terms of pain intensity and duration. Statistical analysis showed both groups to have a significant amount of maj or psychiatric comorbidity, in particular major depressive disorder, and a high incidence of personality disorders. Therefore, intense chronic pain wa s associated with significant psychiatric comorbidity in both groups and in similar proportions. Conclusion: The high incidence of personality pathology in both groups may represent an exaggeration of maladaptive personality traits and coping styl es as a result of a chronic, intense, state of pain.