The following is a summary of “Anxiety, history of childhood adversity, and experiencing chronic pain in adulthood: A systematic literature review and meta-analysis,” published in the January 2024 issue of Pain by Dalechek et al.
The interplay between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), anxiety, and chronic pain in adults remains murky, demanding a clearer understanding of their intertwined influence on pain experiences. Researchers conducted a retrospective study to illuminate the complex dance between ACEs, anxiety, and chronic pain in adults.
They conducted a systematic literature review (SLR) and meta-analysis to investigate adults (≥18) with a documented history of ACEs, self-reported and/or diagnosed anxiety, and chronic pain. Quality appraisal in the SLR was performed using the Joanna Briggs Institute tool.
They employed an SLR and meta-analysis to investigate adults (≥18) with a documented history of ACEs, self-reported and/or diagnosed anxiety, and chronic pain. Joanna Briggs Institute tool was employed for quality assessment in the SLR.
The results showed a notable link between ACEs, anxiety, and adult chronic pain. With 52 studies, 79% reported a moderate to strong link. Prevalence for ACEs indicated 50% (SD 16.01) for sexual abuse, 46% (SD 20.7) for physical abuse, 33% (SD 17.17) for emotional abuse, 25% (SD 21.02) for emotional neglect, and 23% (SD 22.44) for physical neglect. Meta-analyses revealed moderate associations between anxiety and chronic pain (r = 0.30; 95% CI = [0.14, 0.45], P<0.01), ACEs and anxiety (r = 0.26; 95% CI = [0.15, 0.36], P<0.01), with individuals experiencing ACEs being approximately twice as likely to have chronic pain in adulthood (OR = 1.99; 95% CI = [1.53, 2.60], P<0.01).
They concluded that ACEs & anxiety fuel adult chronic pain, prompting deeper dives into anxiety’s mediating role.
Source: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ejp.2232
