title: Frequency of painful physical symptoms with major depressive disorder in asia: relationship with disease severity and quality of life.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) frequently report concomitant painful physical symptoms, which may negatively impact diagnosis and treatment. The purpose of this study was to estimate the frequency of painful physical symptoms in Asian patients treated for an acute episode of MDD and to describe the associated demographics, clinical status, treatment patterns, and socioeconomic burden.
  
  
  METHODS
  This multicountry, observational study enrolled 909 patients with MDD (DSM-IV-TR or ICD-10 criteria) in the psychiatric care setting from June 14, 2006, to February 15, 2007. Patients were classified as positive for painful physical symptoms (PPS+) if they achieved a mean score >or= 2 on the modified Somatic Symptom Inventory. The Clinical Global Impressions-Severity of Illness scale (CGI-S) and 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D(17)) determined depression severity, and the EuroQoL Questionnaire-5 dimensions (EQ-5D) assessed subjective well-being.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 51.8% of patients were classified as PPS+. PPS+ patients were more likely to be female (72.2% vs. 65.1%, p = .022), had relatively more medical comorbidity (29.7% vs. 21.0% with >or= 1 comorbidity, p = .003), were more significantly depressed (CGI-S mean [SE] score = 4.84 [0.03] vs. 4.63 [0.04], p < .001; HAM-D(17) mean [SE] score = 24.80 [0.26] vs. 22.39 [0.27], p < .001), and reported a lower quality of life (EQ-5D health state mean [SE] score = 42.96 [0.92] vs. 52.92 [0.95], p < .001) than PPS- patients. PPS+ and PPS- patients did not differ markedly, however, in terms of MDD medications prescribed or MDD-related disability at work.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Painful physical symptoms are experienced by approximately half of patients with MDD in Asia and are associated with poor clinical status and perceived quality of life.
authors.affiliation: Taiwan Medical Affiliate, Eli Lilly and Co, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Phil
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Mingyuan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jin Pyo
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Hong-Choon
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Chua
authors.forename: Kuang-Peng
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Siu Wa
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Benjamin T M
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Min Soo
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Bobbie
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Gabrielle L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Gallagher
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dossenbach
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001210:Asia, Southeastern; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005202:Asia, Eastern; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology