Ethnic Group Differences in the Outcomes of Multidisciplinary Pain Treatment

Abstract

Objectives

The aim of this prospective investigation was to evaluate ethnic group differences in pain-related outcomes following multidisciplinary chronic pain treatment. A prospective pre- and post-treatment assessment design was employed to investigate the effects of ethnicity on changes in pain-related variables following completion of a multidisciplinary pain treatment program.

Methods

One hundred and fifty-five chronic pain patients participating in a multidisciplinary pain treatment program completed measures of pain and mood both prior to and following the four-week treatment. Primary outcome variables included pain severity, pain-related interference, and depressive symptoms.

Results

Baseline differences between African-Americans and Whites were observed for depressive symptoms, but not for pain severity or pain-related interference. Following multidisciplinary pain treatment, both White and African-American patients displayed post-treatment reductions in depressive symptoms and pain-related interference. However, White patients also reported reduced pain severity while African-Americans did not.

Conclusions

The treatment approach used in the present study appeared to be less effective in reducing self-reported pain severity in African-American versus White patients, though both groups benefited in terms of reduced depressive symptoms and pain-related interference. Moreover, the observation that improvements in functioning occurred without reductions in pain severity in African-American patients suggests that differences may exist in treatment processes as a function of ethnic group, and will consequently be an important area for future research.

Keywords:

• Ethnic differences
• pain outcomes
• pain treatment

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This work was supported by NIH grants AR 051315 (RRE), K24NS002225 (JAH), F32DE017282 (LFB), and T32 MH75884 (CMC).