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The following is a summary of “Unmet mental health needs of U.S. adults living with chronic pain,” published in the December 2024 issue of Pain by De La Rosa et al.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to examine population-level differences in mental health treatment use between individuals with both mental health needs and chronic pain and those with mental health needs alone.
They examined data from the National Health Interview Survey (n = 31,997) to investigate U.S. adults’ disparities in mental health treatment use. This survey offered valuable insights into individuals with both chronic pain and mental health needs.
The results showed that chronic pain was linked to significant disparities in mental health care, individuals with chronic pain were more prevalent among those with mental health needs; those with chronic pain had a lower rate of mental health treatment use; among those using mental health treatment, those with chronic pain had a higher likelihood of screening positive for unremitted anxiety or depression; among adults with both chronic pain and mental health needs, only 44.4% used mental health treatment and screened negative for unremitted anxiety and depression, compared to 71.5% for those with only mental health needs.
Investigators concluded the U.S. adults with chronic pain experience high rates of unremitted anxiety and depression, underlining the gap in the current healthcare system’s ability to address the mental health needs.
Source: journals.lww.com/pain/fulltext/2024/12000/the_unmet_mental_health_needs_of_u_s__adults.22.aspx
