Pain in Adolescent Psychiatric Patients.

BACKGROUND

Little is known about the extent of pain among adolescent psychiatric patients, and the relationships with psychosocial factors and psychiatric symptoms.

METHOD: A representative sample of 129 adolescent patients were assessed with measures including the Youth Self-Report, the Mood and Feelings Questionnaire, and instruments assessing self-perceptions, coping styles, stresses, sociodemographic factors, and childhood abuse.

RESULTS

More than half of the adolescents (54%) reported to be bothered currently by frequent pain. Frequent pain correlated with depression, self-harm, suicide attempt, and with ruminative and emotion oriented coping. Adolescents suffering from frequent pain had more often experienced childhood abuse/neglect. A stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that depression, alcohol intoxication and childhood neglect were the strongest concurrent predictors of frequent pain.

CONCLUSIONS

Clinicians should ask child and adolescent psychiatric patients about pain, and be aware of possible connections with abuse/neglect, depression and suicidality.