Low back pain and psychological factors. A social psychiatric study of the population of working age.

The objective of the study was to find out how low back pain (LBP) and psychological factors are interrelated in the adult population. The study dealt with 220 individuals suffering from LBP and with a control group (n = 101). The method used was a psychiatric interview. Mental disorders were more prevalent in the LBP group than in the control group. A clinical disorder was diagnosed for 31% in the LBP group and they had many mild mental disturbances, too. The association between LBP and mental disorders was not as clear as found in previous studies with patient populations. The LBP group was divided according to the etiology of pain into functional and organic groups. No significant differences were found between the groups with regard to mental disturbance.