title: How does subjective experience of pain relate to psychopathology among psychiatric patients?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The study aimed to investigate to what extent general psychopathology is associated with subjective experience of pain in psychiatric outpatients without comorbidity with severe physical diagnosis and whether there are any differences in the experience of pain between genders or diagnoses.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were 575 consecutive outpatients affected by mood disorder or anxiety disorder. Patients completed the West Haven-Yale Multidimensional Pain Inventory (WHYMPI) and the Symptom Checklist 90-Revised.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Women had higher mean scores on the Global Severity Index (1.52±0.76 vs. 1.33±0.79), higher perception of negative responses from others (1.84±1.59 vs. 1.46±1.35) and higher perception of pain severity (3.31±1.73 vs. 2.88±1.63) than men. They also reported higher mean scores on the WHYMPI's General Activity (2.14±0.98 vs. 1.93±0.95) and Household Chores (3.64±1.75 vs. 2.27±1.58) and lower mean scores on the Outdoor Work (1.24±1.26 vs. 1.87±1.51) dimension than men. Higher pain severity, more negative responses from others and higher household chores are predictors of higher psychopathology, while the general level of activity may be considered as a protective factor.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pain and its subjective experience play a central role in psychiatric disorders, and it is a great burden for patients and caregivers. Clinicians should pay more attention to recognize and adequately treat painful symptoms in patients with anxiety and depressive disorder.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Organs, Suicide Prevention Center Sant'Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy. maurizio.pompili@uniroma1.it
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pompili
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Innamorati
authors.forename: Gianluca
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Serafini
authors.forename: Xenia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Gonda
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Campi
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rapinesi
authors.forename: Gloria
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giordano
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Montebovi
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Palermo
authors.forename: Giancarlo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giupponi
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tatarelli
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Biondi
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Amore
authors.forename: Leo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sher
authors.forename: Zoltan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Rihmer
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Girardi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D057189:Checklist; D057286:Electronic Health Records; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D058748:Pain Perception; D012384:Rome; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires