Depression and Anxiety in Chronic Pain Introduction

In recent years, the biopsychosocial nature of chronic pain has become more widely recognized, and efforts to understand the complex interactions between physiologic and psychosocial aspects of chronic pain have increased. In particular, depression and anxiety have been noted to be present in many people with chronic pain; in some cases, these psychologic illnesses are present prior to the onset of pain, and in others, they develop following the onset of pain. Depression is the most common comorbid psychologic diagnosis associated with chronic pain, but anxiety is also common and can contribute to fixation on symptoms.