Non-Medical Factors Associated with the Outcome of Treatment of Chronic Non-Malignant Pain: A Cross-Sectional Study

• Published in: International journal of environmental research and public health 2022-03, Vol.19 (5), p.2881
• Main Authors: Kovačević, Irena, Majerić Kogler, Višnja, Krikšić, Valentina, Ilić, Boris, Friganović, Adriano, Ozimec Vulinec, Štefanija, Pavić, Jadranka, Milošević, Milan, Kovačević, Petra, Petek, Davorina
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anxiety; Anxiety - epidemiology; Chronic Pain - epidemiology; Chronic Pain - psychology; Chronic Pain - therapy; Comorbidity; Cross-Sectional Studies; Hospitals; Human relations; Humans; Informed consent; Mental depression; Multivariate analysis; Pain; Pain management; Patient satisfaction; Patients; Physicians; Public health; Quality of Life; Questionnaires; Sleep disorders; Social interactions; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 1660-4601; 1661-7827; 1660-4601
• DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19052881

Chronic pain is a global public health issue with increasing prevalence. Chronic pain causes sleep disorder, reactive anxiety, and depression, impairs the quality of life; it burdens the individual and society as a whole. The aim of this study was to examine non-medical factors related to the outcome of the treatment of chronic non-malignant pain. A cross-sectional study with two groups of patients was conducted using a questionnaire with biological, psychological, and social characteristics of patients. Since this study was cross-sectional, it was not possible to determine whether some factors were the cause or the consequence of unsuccessful treatment outcome, which is at the same time one of the disadvantages of cross-sectional studies. The poor outcome of the treatment of chronic non-malignant pain in a multivariate binary logistic regression model was statistically significantly associated with the lower quality of life (OR = 0.95 (95% CI: 0.91-0.99; = 0.009), and higher depression level OR = 1.08 (95% CI: 1.02-1.14; = 0.009). The outcome of the treatment was not directly related to social support measured by the multivariate binary logistic regression model (OR = 1.04, 95% CI: 0.95-1.15, = 0.395), but solitary life (without partner) was (OR = 2.16 (95% CI: 1.03-4.53; = 0.043). The typical patient with a poor pain management outcome is retired, presents depressive behavior; their pain disturbs general activity and sleeping. Moreover, they have a physically disturbed quality of life and require self-treatment due to the inaccessibility of doctors and therapies. The principle of treatment of patients with chronic, non-malignant pain should take into account a biopsychosocial approach with individually adjusted procedures.