BALTIMORE (Reuters Health) Mar 19 - Young African Americans with chronic pain develop more severe pain, more depressive symptoms, and more physical disability than Caucasian Americans, researchers announced here last Friday at the 21st Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Pain Society.
Dr. Carmen R. Green and a group from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor conducted a survey of 3753 African Americans and Caucasian Americans between the ages of 20 and 50 at the time of their initial presentation at the school's tertiary care pain center. The mean age was about 37 years in both patient groups.

Before entry into the treatment program, each subject completed several self-report measures and behavioral assessment procedures. These included the following: the McGill Pain Questionnaire, which provides an overall index of pain; the Beck Depression Inventory, which assesses common cognitive, affective, and vegetative symptoms of depression; the Pain Disability Index, which evaluates the degree to which pain interferes with an individual's ability to engage in various life activities; and the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Questionnaire.

Results showed that African Americans reported higher scores on the Pain Disability Index, Beck Depression Inventory, McGill, and PTSD scores compared with Caucasian Americans.

"While the reasons for the differences in the chronic pain experience based upon race is unclear, this study provides a platform for future studies on the role of race and ethnicity on chronic pain management outcomes," Dr. Green said. She added that future studies should be undertaken to obtain prospective data on individuals matched by gender and ethnicity in order to determine whether there are differences in pain severity, psychological functioning, and physical disability.

:: All the news »»

Please if you have some informations for updating the site, send them to update@asami.org.