Pain complaints in a sample of psychiatric inpatients.
OBJECTIVE
We examined the prevalence of pain and pain severity in a sample of psychiatric inpatients. Currently, scant information exists about which patient groups are most affected by pain.


METHODS
Pain was assessed in 416 psychiatric inpatients using the brief pain inventory. Patients were characterized by applying DSM-IV criteria and obtaining self-reports of adverse childhood experiences.


RESULTS
Of psychiatric inpatients, 31.0% reported having substantial pain. Women with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) had the highest prevalence of substantial pain among all psychiatric inpatients and a significantly higher rate compared to women without PTSD (49% vs. 28%, P=.02). Pain was significantly associated with adverse childhood experiences in both men and women.


CONCLUSIONS
Within a group of psychiatric inpatients, pain is associated with PTSD in women and with adverse childhood experiences in both men and women. Attention should therefore be paid towards such high-risk groups and the consequences that the pain might entail for physical and mental health.
Greggersen
Wiebke
W
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Luebeck, 23538 Luebeck, Germany. wiebke.greggersen@psychiatrie.uk-sh.de
Rudolf
Sebastian
S
Findel
Corinna
C
Burow
Juliane
J
Stoll
Anne
A
Ristow
Jessica
J
Fassbinder
Eva
E
Oltmanns
Kerstin M
KM
Kahl
Kai G
KG
Hohagen
Fritz
F
Hüppe
Michael
M
Schweiger
Ulrich
U
D000328:Adult; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology