Nearly one in 20 US adults live with co-occurring chronic pain and clinically significant anxiety and/or depression (A/D), according to study published in PAIN. Jennifer Schultz De La Rosa, PhD, and collegues examined the prevalence of co-occurring symptoms of chronic pain and clinically significant symptoms of A/D. The team estimated that approximately 12 million US adults, or 4.9 % of the adult population, have co-occurring chronic pain and A/D symptoms. Unremitted A/D symptoms co-occurred in 23.9% compared with an A/D prevalence of 4.9% among those without chronic pain. Chronic pain was more prevalent in those with unremitted A/D symptoms compared with those without A/D symptoms. Those experiencing co-occurring symptoms had a higher likelihood of experiencing functional limitations in daily life (eg, work, errands, or social activities) compared with those experiencing either condition alone. “Across all the domains of functional activity in life, we saw an enormous jump among people who are living with both conditions,” Dr. De La Rosa said in a statement.
