High levels of anxiety and depression have a negative effect on quality of life of women with chronic pelvic pain

Ana Romão, Renata Panico Gorayeb, Gustavo Salata Romão, Omero Benedicto Poli‐Neto, Francisco José Cândido dos Reis, J. C. Rosa-e-Silva, Júlio César Rosa e Silva, Antônio Alberto Nogueira
In: International Journal of Clinical Practice · 2009 · vol. 63(5) , pp. 707–711 · doi:10.1111/j.1742-1241.2009.02034.x · PMID:19392920 · W2053545506
article OA: bronze CC0 ⤵ 84 in-corpus citations
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This study found that women with chronic pelvic pain exhibited higher prevalence of anxiety and depression, which correlated with a lower quality of life compared to controls.

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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) is a common and complex disease whose cause is often clinically inexplicable, with consequent difficulty in diagnosis and treatment. Patients with CPP have high levels of anxiety and depression, with a consequent impairment of their quality of life. AIMS: The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of anxiety and depression and their impact on the quality of life of women with CPP. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional controlled study was conducted on 52 patients with CPP and 54 women without pain. Depression and anxiety were evaluated by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and quality of life was evaluated by the World Health Organization Quality of life Whoqol-bref questionnaire. Data were analysed statistically by the Mann-Whitney U-test, the Fisher exact test, chi-square test and Spearman correlation test. RESULTS: The prevalence of anxiety was 73% and 37% in the CPP and control groups, respectively, and the prevalence of depression was 40% and 30% respectively. Significant differences between groups were observed in the physical, psychological and social domains. Patients with higher anxiety and depression scores present lower quality of life scores. DISCUSSION: The fact that DPC is a syndromic complex, many patients enter a chronic cycle of search for improvement of medical symptoms. The constant presence of pain may be responsible for affective changes in dynamics, family, social and sexual. Initially the person is facing the loss of a healthy body and active, to a state of dependence and limitations. In this study, patients with higher scores of anxiety and depression scores had lower quality of life and patients with lower scores of anxiety and depression had scores of quality of life. These results show that perhaps the depression and anxiety may be related to the negative impact on quality of life of these patients. CONCLUSION: In view of this association, we emphasise the importance of a specific approach to the treatment of anxiety and depression together with clinical treatment to improve the quality of life of these patients.

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chronic_pelvic_pain

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