[Prevalence of mental health disorders among patientswho attendeda service of neurology for chronic pain].
The association between chronic pain and mental disorders is a determining factor of the disease evolution and requires a comprehensive approach in patients.


OBJECTIVE
evaluate the prevalence of mental disorders in patients with chronic pain who use the service of Neurology at the National Clinical Hospital, Cordoba, Argentina.


METHODS
the study included patients with chronic pain who used the Neurology service, National Clinical Hospital in Cordoba, Argentina, selected from a validated form that contains the appropriate clinical criteria. Mental disorders were evaluated in a sample of 351 patients through the CIDI 3.0. The interviewers were properly trained to implement it. Data were analyzed using InfoStat® statistical software.


RESULTS
The mean age of the sample was 41.94±2.02 years, ranging from 20 to 65, 88.32% being women. It showed that 50.98% of the consultants for chronic pain had an episode of mental disorders throughout their life. Thus, the lifetime prevalence for affective disorders was 29.4% and neurotic disorders, stress related disorders and somatoform disorders was 41.2%.


CONCLUSIONS
The results contributed to identify the background frequency and characteristics of mental disorders in patients presenting with chronic pain in a service of Neurology, requiring the need to implement a comprehensive clinical intervention, and to continue the research to assess concurrent comorbidity of both conditions.
Facultad de Ciencias Médicas de la Universidad Nacional de Córdoba.
Federico
F
Buonanotte
Escuela de Salud Pública, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas de la Universidad Nacional de Córdoba.
Maria Soledad
MS
Burrone
Facultad de Ciencias Médicas de la Universidad Nacional de Córdoba.
Roberto Ariel
RA
Abeldaño
Facultad de Ciencias Médicas de la Universidad Nacional de Córdoba.
Daniel Eduardo
DE
Romero
Escuela de Salud Pública, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas de la Universidad Nacional de Córdoba.
Patricia
P
Gomez
Escuela de Salud Pública, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas de la Universidad Nacional de Córdoba.
Maria Cristina
MC
Cometto
Escuela de Salud Pública, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas de la Universidad Nacional de Córdoba.
Gabriel
G
Reginatto
Instituto de Salud Poblacional "Escuela de Salud Pública Dr. Salvador Allende", Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile. Santiago, Chile.
Ruben
R
Alvarado
Facultad de Ciencias Médicas de la Universidad Nacional de Córdoba.
Julio E
JE
Enders
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001118:Argentina / Q000453:epidemiology; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009462:Neurology; D015995:Prevalence; D017678:Sex Distribution; D055815:Young Adult