Measuring depression

Abstract

Estimates of patients with chronic pain who also have significant depression vary from 35% to 72%, depending on the sample and measure of depression used [41–43]. Although improvements in depression do not necessarily result in reductions in pain severity (in fact, the opposite pattern exists, with reductions in pain severity associated with subsequent reductions in depression [44]), treating depression can reduce the negative effects of pain on patient functioning [45]. Moreover, depression can contribute to the suffering associated with pain, and can interfere with motivation to engage in more active and adaptive pain coping responses [46,47]. When present, depression should be treated; and as indicated above, depression is present in many patients with chronic pain. A large number of measures of depression exist. One measure that is appropriate to use in a busy clinical setting is the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2).