Relationship of psychiatric history to pain reports in rheumatoid arthritis.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose was to examine the relationship of pre-existing psychiatric history to pain reports in a cohort of persons with RA and concomitant major depression who were receiving a trial of antidepressant medication.


METHODS
RA patients (n = 41) with a current episode of major depression were divided into two subgroups comprised of those with a previous psychiatric history (PSY+) (n = 20) and those without a previous psychiatric history (PSY-) (n = 21). The groups were compared with regard to their responsiveness to a regimen of antidepressive medication on measures of depression, pain, coping, and life stress over a period of 15 months.


RESULTS
Although depression scores for both the PSY+ and the PSY- groups decreased significantly from baseline to 15-month follow-up, the composite pain score was found to be significantly decreased only for the PSY- group.


CONCLUSIONS
Psychiatric history appears to predispose persons with concomitant RA and major depression to report less pain reduction following antidepressive treatment than those persons without a psychiatric history.
Frantom
Catherine G
CG
Frazier Rehabilitation and Neurosciences Center, Louisville, Kentucky, USA.
Parker
Jerry C
JC
Smarr
Karen L
KL
Slaughter
James R
JR
Hewett
James E
JE
Hewett
John E
JE
Ge
Bin
B
Hanson
Kathleen Donovan
KD
Walker
Sara E
SE
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000523:psychology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000523:psychology*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000928:Antidepressive Agents