Back pain linked to increased depression, anxiety and stress in large new study

A study of almost 200,000 people has found that those who have back pain are more likely to suffer from a range of mental health issues such as depression, anxiety and stress.

The research surveyed 190,595 people from 43 countries so is the largest study to investigate the connections between back pain and psychological illness. The data revealed that people with back pain are at least twice as likely to have one of five mental health conditions (depression, anxiety, stress, psychosis and sleep deprivation).

Those with chronic back pain are often at even higher risk and are about three times more likely to experience a depressive episode.

The findings are particularly important because back pain is so common, affecting almost one in 10 people, according to the Global Burden of Disease Study.

“Our data shows that both back pain and chronic back pain are associated with an increased likelihood of depression, psychosis, anxiety, stress and sleep disturbances,” explains Dr Brendon Stubbs, who is involved in the work. “This suggests that back pain has important mental health implications which may make recovery from back pain more challenging. The exact reasons for this are yet to be established.

“Further research is required to find out more about the links between these problems, and to ensure effective treatments can be developed. It is also important that healthcare professionals are made aware of this link to refer patients to other services if necessary.”

Click here to read the original research.

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