[Characteristics of patients suffering from chronic pain with depressive symptoms in three different treatment settings].
BACKGROUND
Only few studies considered demographic and medical characteristics of pain patients with depressive symptoms.


METHODS
The present study is a cross-sectional observation of 585 patients suffering from chronic pain and depressive symptoms from all over Switzerland who got an antidepressant treatment in 122 medical practices (internal medicine, general medicine, psychiatry). Based on their clinical experience within the Swiss mental health system, the authors hypothesized that internists and general practitioners, compared to psychiatrists, treat older and less depressive patients with less intense chronic pain and with regional origin from Central Europe.


RESULTS
In accordance with this hypothesis, internists (and general practitioners), compared to psychiatrists, more frequently provided care for older patients from Central Europe with less severe depressive symptoms and lower pain intensity and less head pain. Furthermore, compared with Central European patients, those patients from Eastern and Southern Europe presented more intense overall pain mainly affecting the head, extremities, back, and thorax whereas Southern Europeans tended to suffer even more frequently from chest pain compared with their Central European peers.


CONCLUSIONS
The study design pragmatically represents the caring situation for depressed patients with chronic pain in Switzerland regarding regional origin and pain intensity. The results are based on a respectable sample size recruited from all Swiss regions and by the physician specialities primarily involved in long-term management of this patient group.
Begré
Stefan
S
Klinik für Allgemeine Innere Medizin, Kompetenzbereich für Psychosomatische Medizin, Inselspital, Universitätsspital Bern, Bern, Schweiz. stefan.begre@insel.ch
Traber
Martin
M
Gerber
Martin
M
von Känel
Roland
R
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D058006:General Practice; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009313:National Health Programs; D010146:Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D059408:Pain Management; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010552:Personality Assessment; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011570:Psychiatry; D013557:Switzerland; D055815:Young Adult
D000928:Antidepressive Agents