title: Course and predictors of medically unexplained pain symptoms in the general population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to explore the course and the predictors of clinically significant medically unexplained pain symptoms (MUS-pain) within the 6 months preceding the interviews at baseline and on follow-up in the general population.
  
  
  METHODS
  A Norwegian general population study of 605 persons interviewed with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview Somatoform Section was conducted in 1989/1990 (baseline), and 421 persons (69.6% response rate; 242 women and 179 men) were reinterviewed in 2000/2001 (follow-up). Cases of recent MUS-pain compared with those at baseline were assessed on follow-up. Four blockwise logistic regression analyses were undertaken to find predictors (such as stressful life events, living alone, depression and anxiety, and physical morbidity) for recent MUS-pain in 2001.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A small "stable" group of recent MUS-pain sufferers (8% of all reinterviewed and 33.6% of those with recent MUS-pain at baseline) was evident. In this group almost all were women. In addition to female gender being a significant (P<.05) marker of recent MUS-pain (which gives a twofold-higher risk compared with men), only depression--not the occurrence of prior recent MUS-pain--remained a significant (P<.05) predictor in the final model, increasing the likelihood of having recent MUS-pain by threefold.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prognosis of MUS-pain is relatively good, except for a small group (mainly women) that is prone to chronicity. Clinicians should examine for depression when confronted with MUS-pain patients and should be aware of the twofold-higher risk in women for persistent MUS-pain over a long time.
authors.affiliation: Department of Behavioral Sciences in Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway. k.a.leiknes@medisin.uio.no <k.a.leiknes@medisin.uio.no>
authors.forename: Kari A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Leiknes
authors.forename: Arnstein
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Finset
authors.forename: Torbjørn
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Moum
authors.forename: Inger
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sandanger
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods*; D015995:Prevalence; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology