Journal of Affective Disorders
Volume 117, Issue 3 , Pages 193-196, October 2009

Pain and depression in older people: Comorbidity and patterns of help seeking

  • A. Bonnewyn

      Affiliations

    • University Psychiatric Center KuLeuven, Campus Gasthuisberg, Leuven, Belgium
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author.
    • ,
  • C. Katona

      Affiliations

    • University College London, Department of Mental Health Sciences, London, United Kingdom
    • ,
  • R. Bruffaerts

      Affiliations

    • University Psychiatric Center KuLeuven, Campus Gasthuisberg, Leuven, Belgium
    • ,
  • J.M. Haro

      Affiliations

    • Fundació Sant Joan de Deu, Barcelona, Spain
    • ,
  • R. de Graaf

      Affiliations

    • Netherlands Institute of Mental Health and Addiction, Utrecht, The Netherlands
    • ,
  • J. Alonso

      Affiliations

    • Health Services Research Unit, Institut Municipal d'Investigacio Medica (IMIM-IMAS), Barcelona, Spain
    • ,
  • K. Demyttenaere

      Affiliations

    • University Psychiatric Center KuLeuven, Campus Gasthuisberg, Leuven, Belgium

Received 17 October 2008; received in revised form 17 December 2008; accepted 14 January 2009.

Abstract 

Background

Chronic pain and mood disorders are common in older people. Their relationship however remains unclear. Only a few studies have investigated the role of pain in mental health service use and received psychopharmacological treatment.

Methods

Cross-sectional study of the 65+ subsample from the European Study on the Epidemiology of Mental Disorders (ESEMeD). 4401 non-institutionalized individuals were interviewed using the third version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI-3.0).

Results

Painful physical symptoms (PPS) were more likely in people with a 12-month major depressive episode (MDE) than in those without (OR=2.0). Help seeking for emotional problems was uncommon, but PPS were a significant predictor of help-seeking (OR=1.7). Respondents with MDE more frequently used benzodiazepines than antidepressants. The presence of PPS in respondents without depression resulted in a significant increase in the use of psychotropic medication.

Conclusions

PPS were strongly and independently associated with major depressive disorder. Their presence had an influence on help seeking behavior and use of psychotropic medication.

Limitations

The cross-sectional nature of this study does not allow determination of direction of causality.

Keywords: Elderly, Pain, Major depressive disorder, Comorbidity, Help-seeking

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PII: S0165-0327(09)00032-9

doi:10.1016/j.jad.2009.01.012

Journal of Affective Disorders
Volume 117, Issue 3 , Pages 193-196, October 2009

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