Where does it hurt? Location of pain, psychological distress, and alexithymia among outpatients seeking psychotherapy

Abstract

Objectives: Physical pain is prevalent among psychiatric outpatients, yet there has been little research regarding the types of pain reported. The purpose of this study was to survey outpatients seeking psychotherapy regarding pain locations and to examine associations between number of pain locations and psychiatric distress and alexithymia.

Methods: Two hundred and seventeen patients were recruited from three Canadian hospitals that offer outpatient psychiatry services and short-term therapies. Participants were surveyed about their current physical pain using the Brief Pain Inventory. Participants also completed measures of psychiatric distress (Brief Symptom Inventory-18) and alexithymia (Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20).

Results: The three most commonly reported pain locations were lower back, head, and neck. Findings revealed that anxiety, depression and alexithymia were associated with number of reported pain locations. Specifically, participants with three or more pain locations reported significantly higher depression, anxiety and alexithymia in comparison to those with no pain.

Conclusions: Back, head and neck pains are highly prevalent among psychiatric outpatients. Multiple pain sites may reflect higher levels of psychiatric distress and greater impairment in emotional processing among psychiatric outpatients.

Keywords:

• Pain
• alexithymia
• psychiatric distress
• outpatient
• treatment

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the Dalhousie University, Department of Psychiatry and Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness.

Disclosure statement

The authors have no conflicts of interests to report.