General Hospital Psychiatry
Volume 32, Issue 4 , Pages 413-418, July 2010

Predictors of pain intensity and pain functioning in patients with the hepatitis C virus☆

  • Benjamin J. Morasco, Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • Northwest Hepatitis C Resource Center and Mental Health and Clinical Neurosciences Division, Portland VA Medical Center, Portland, OR 97239, USA
    • Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Portland VA Medical Center (R&D99), 3710 SW US Veterans Hospital Road, Portland, OR 97239, USA.
    • ,
  • Marilyn Huckans, Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • Northwest Hepatitis C Resource Center and Mental Health and Clinical Neurosciences Division, Portland VA Medical Center, Portland, OR 97239, USA
    • Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
    • Research Division, Portland VA Medical Center, Portland, OR, USA
    • ,
  • Jennifer M. Loftis, Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • Northwest Hepatitis C Resource Center and Mental Health and Clinical Neurosciences Division, Portland VA Medical Center, Portland, OR 97239, USA
    • Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
    • Research Division, Portland VA Medical Center, Portland, OR, USA
    • ,
  • Jonathan Woodhouse, Psy.D.

      Affiliations

    • Northwest Hepatitis C Resource Center and Mental Health and Clinical Neurosciences Division, Portland VA Medical Center, Portland, OR 97239, USA
    • Department of Psychology, George Fox University, Newberg, OR, USA
    • Dr. Woodhouse is now affiliated with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA.
    • ,
  • Adriana Seelye, M.S.

      Affiliations

    • Northwest Hepatitis C Resource Center and Mental Health and Clinical Neurosciences Division, Portland VA Medical Center, Portland, OR 97239, USA
    • Department of Psychology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
    • ,
  • Dennis C. Turk, Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
    • ,
  • Peter Hauser, M.D.

      Affiliations

    • Northwest Hepatitis C Resource Center and Mental Health and Clinical Neurosciences Division, Portland VA Medical Center, Portland, OR 97239, USA
    • Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
    • Research Division, Portland VA Medical Center, Portland, OR, USA
    • Dr. Hauser is now affiliated with the Desert Pacific Healthcare Network Office, Long Beach, CA, USA.

Received 3 December 2009; accepted 26 March 2010. published online 28 April 2010.

Abstract 

Objective

To examine the relationships among biological and psychological variables with pain intensity and pain functioning in patients with the hepatitis C virus (HCV).

Methods

Participants were 49 patients with HCV who completed well-validated assessments of pain intensity and pain functioning. Participants also completed measures of psychological functioning, and medical records were reviewed.

Results

Thirty-three (67.3%) of 49 participants had a current diagnosis for a pain-related condition. Regression analyses were conducted to examine variables associated with pain intensity and pain functioning. The psychosocial variables, particularly depression severity, accounted for an additional 21% of the variance in average pain intensity (P=.002) and 33% of the variance in pain functioning (P<.001). These results remained significant even after controlling for demographic characteristics, opioid prescription status and disease-related variables.

Conclusion

These results provide preliminary support for the role of biological and psychological factors in the development and exacerbation of pain in HCV patients. Future studies should include a more comprehensive assessment of pain-related factors and examine their associations with additional disease-related and biological variables. Developing a better understanding of the factors associated with pain in HCV patients will help to inform future interventions for chronic pain in this patient population.

Keywords: Chronic pain, Hepatitis C virus, Depression, Biopsychosocial model

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☆ This study was supported in part by a VA Career Development Award and Northwest Health Foundation grant awarded to Dr. Huckans. Dr. Morasco was supported by award K23DA023467 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The content of this manuscript is the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the Department of Veterans Affairs or the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

PII: S0163-8343(10)00060-5

doi:10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2010.03.010

General Hospital Psychiatry
Volume 32, Issue 4 , Pages 413-418, July 2010

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