title: Predictors of pain intensity and pain functioning in patients with the hepatitis C virus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the relationships among biological and psychological variables with pain intensity and pain functioning in patients with the hepatitis C virus (HCV).
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were 49 patients with HCV who completed well-validated assessments of pain intensity and pain functioning. Participants also completed measures of psychological functioning, and medical records were reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-three (67.3%) of 49 participants had a current diagnosis for a pain-related condition. Regression analyses were conducted to examine variables associated with pain intensity and pain functioning. The psychosocial variables, particularly depression severity, accounted for an additional 21% of the variance in average pain intensity (P=.002) and 33% of the variance in pain functioning (P<.001). These results remained significant even after controlling for demographic characteristics, opioid prescription status and disease-related variables.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results provide preliminary support for the role of biological and psychological factors in the development and exacerbation of pain in HCV patients. Future studies should include a more comprehensive assessment of pain-related factors and examine their associations with additional disease-related and biological variables. Developing a better understanding of the factors associated with pain in HCV patients will help to inform future interventions for chronic pain in this patient population.
authors.affiliation: Northwest Hepatitis C Resource Center and Mental Health and Clinical Neurosciences Division, Portland VA Medical Center, Portland, OR 97239, USA. benjamin.morasco@va.gov
authors.forename: Benjamin J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Morasco
authors.forename: Marilyn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Huckans
authors.forename: Jennifer M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Loftis
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Woodhouse
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Seelye
authors.forename: Dennis C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Turk
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hauser
mesh_terms: D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011584:Psychology; D012044:Regression Analysis