Acute and chronic pain: pain dimensions and psychological status

One hundred and ten outpatients with either acute or chronic low-back pain completed the McGill Pain Questionnaire, Beck Depression Inventory, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and Life Experiences Survey. Acutes and chronics did not differ on dimensions of pain, but significant correlations between pain dimensions and depression and state anxiety were found for chronics. Both groups showed elevated state anxiety; chronics also evidenced mild depression. Combined scores on depression, anxiety, and negative life change predicted sensory and affective pain for the pooled sample. These results confirm the role of psychological variables in the experience of clinical pain and underscore the highly affective nature of chronic pain.