Article

PURPOSE: To assess quality of life (QoL) in two groups of patients with long-term
musculoskeletal pain with and without psychiatric co-morbidity and to compare
them with a reference group of normative controls. The patients in both study
groups were sick-listed full or part time for 3 months or more. METHOD: The
patients were recruited from a company health service and consulting psychiatry.
A generic QoL questionnaire, the SF-36, was used to assess QoL. Each group was
compared with age- and gender-matched normative controls. RESULTS: Both groups
reported a pronounced impairment of QoL (p < 0.001) compared with their age- and
gender-matched populations. The greatest impairment was seen among the patients
referred for psychiatric assessment (n = 30). The patients in the company health
service (n = 42) reported significantly higher QoL with regard to the dimensions
mental health (p < 0.028), social functioning (p < 0.034) and role emotional (p <
0.040) compared with the patients referred for psychiatric assessment.
CONCLUSION: Patients with long-term pain in the company health care and patients
with psychiatric co-morbidity, sick-listed full or part-time reported severely
impaired QoL with regard both to physical, social and mental dimensions.
Psychiatric co-morbidity reported even more pronounced impairment of emotional,
social and mental dimensions of QoL which might indicate dysfunctional coping
strategies.

Langue : ANGLAIS