Does personality or psychopathology predict disability in chronic pain patients?
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of personality characteristics, depression and personality disorders in predicting disability status in pain patients one year later.


METHODS
Subjects were 250 volunteer chronic pain patients. The baseline evaluation consisted of the Karolinska Scales of Personality and psychiatric evaluation of depression and personality disorders using standardized diagnostic instruments. Disability status was assessed by insurance record review one year after the evaluation.


RESULTS
The results suggest that baseline personality traits and psychopathology (i.e. depression or personality disorders) were not useful predictors of disability status in pain patients with one-year follow-up.


CONCLUSIONS
These data suggest that personality characteristics and psychopathology are probably not important disability predictors in chronic pain patients.
Linder
J
J
Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Hospital and Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
Poston
W S
WS
Haddock
C K
CK
Foreyt
J P
JP
Ericsson
M
M
D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003863:Depression; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000523:psychology*; D010551:Personality; D010556:Personality Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013548:Sweden