Association of Pain Intensity and Sensitivity with Childhood Trauma in Adolescents with Depressive Disorder: A Multicenter Study.

PURPOSE: To explore the associations of pain intensity and sensitivity with childhood trauma (CT) in adolescents with depressive disorder, we examined differences in these pain-related measures between patients with adolescent depressive disorders who had experienced CT and those who had not (NCT).

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

A multicenter survey was conducted between August 2021 and March 2024. The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form (CTQ-SF) assessed subjects' exposure to CT; the Numerical Rating Scale-11 measured somatic pain intensity, and the Handheld Pressure Pain Instrument was used to assess pain sensitivity in the forearm and tibia.

RESULTS

A total of 200 adolescent patients diagnosed with depressive disorders were recruited. The results revealed that the patients who had experienced emotional neglect, sexual abuse, emotional neglect, and physical neglect reported higher pain intensity. Specifically, patients with a history of CT exhibited significantly greater pain intensity compared to those without CT, and those with sexual abuse (SA) and emotional neglect demonstrated lower pain sensitivity. The correlation and regression analyses further indicated that, among adolescents with depressive disorder, those who had experienced CT exhibited lower pain sensitivity and higher pain intensity. Additionally, more severe depression was associated with higher pain intensity and lower pain sensitivity.

CONCLUSION

Patients with a history of CT exhibited greater pain intensity and lower pain sensitivity than those without CT. Both CT and the severity of depression were strongly linked to increased pain intensity and decreased pain sensitivity, respectively, in patients with adolescent depressive disorders.