Psychosomatic medicine
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Psychosomatic medicine · Jan 2004
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study Clinical TrialImpact of pain on depression treatment response in primary care.
Pain commonly coexists with depression, but its impact on treatment outcomes has not been well studied. Therefore, we prospectively evaluated the impact of comorbid pain on depression treatment response and health-related quality of life. ⋯ Pain is present in two thirds of depressed primary care patients begun on antidepressant therapy, and the severity of pain is a strong predictor of poor depression and health-related quality of life outcomes at 3 months. Better recognition, assessment, and treatment of comorbid pain may enhance outcomes of depression therapy.