Chronic pain is common in individuals with multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injury and is associated with depressed mood. This may be because pain creates interference in performing and enjoying valued activities. The importance of pain interference may also vary with age, since older adults may have lowered expectations regarding function. This study analyzed relationships among pain variables, age, and mood in 521 individuals with multiple sclerosis or spinal cord injury. As predicted, pain interference mediated the relationship between pain severity and depressed mood. There was no evidence that older adults were less distressed by pain interference than were younger adults.
AbergAC (2008) Care recipients’ perceptions of activity-related life space and life satisfaction during and after geriatric rehabilitation. Quality of Life Research17: 509–520.
2.
AlbrechtGLDevliegerPJ (1999) The disability paradox: High quality of life against all odds. Social Science & Medicine48: 977–988.
3.
American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed., text rev.). Washington, DC.
4.
AmtmannDACookKFJensenMP (2010) Development of a PROMIS item bank to measure pain interference. Pain150(1): 173–182.
5.
BaronMKennyD (1986) The moderator-mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: Conceptual, strategic and statistical considerations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology51: 1173–1182.
6.
BoernerK (2004) Adaptation to disability among middle-aged and older adults: The role of assimilative and accommodative coping. Journals of Gerontology: Series B59: 35–42.
7.
BookwalaJHarralsonTParmeleeP (2003) Effects of pain on functioning and well-being in older adults with osteoarthritis of the knee. Psychology and Aging18: 844–850.
8.
ChiuWTLinHCLamC (2010) Review paper: Epidemiology of traumatic spinal cord injury: Comparisons between developed and developing countries. Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health22: 9–18.
9.
Dorantes-MendozaGAvila-FunesJAMejía-ArangoS (2007) Factors associated with functional dependence in older adults: A secondary analysis of the National Study on Health and Aging, Mexico. Revista Panamericana de Salud Publica22: 1–11.
10.
EdwardsR (2006) Age differences in the correlates of physical functioning in patients with chronic pain. Journal of Aging and Health18: 56–69.
11.
EhdeDMJensenMPEngelJM (2003) Chronic pain secondary to disability: A review. Pain19: 3–17.
12.
FerrandoSJSamtonJMorN (2007) Patient health questionnaire-0 to screen for depression in outpatients with multiple sclerosis. International Journal of MS Care9: 99–103.
13.
FerrellBFerrellBOsterweilD (1990) Pain in the nursing home. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society38: 409–414.
14.
FinnerupNJohannesenISindrupS (2001) Pain and dysethesia in patients with spinal cord injury: A postal survey. Spinal Cord39: 256–262.
15.
GallagherRMernaSMosseyJ (2000) Chronic pain: Sources of late-life pain and risk factors for disability. Geriatrics55: 40–45.
16.
GibsonSJHelmeRD (2001) Age-related differences in pain perception and report. Clinics in Geriatric Medicine17: 433–456.
17.
HadjistavropoulosTHerrKTurkD (2007) An interdisciplinary expert consensus statement on assessment of pain in older persons. The Clinical Journal of Pain23: S1–S42.
18.
JensenMKarolyP (2000) Self-report scales and procedures for assessing pain in adults. In: TurkDCMelzackR (eds) Handbook of Pain Assessment (2nd edn). New York: Guilford Press, pp. 135–151.
19.
JensenMPHanleyMTurnerJ (2004) Pain and other sensation in persons with spinal cord injury: Frequency and association with depression and pain interference. Psychologica37: 129–143.
20.
JohnsonKLBrownPAKnasterES (2010) Aging with disability in the workplace. Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinics of North America21: 267–279.
21.
KeefeFJWilliamsDA (1990) A comparison of coping strategies in chronic pain patients across different age groups. Journal of Gerontology45: 161–165.
22.
KuhlmannTGoldschmidtTAntelJ (2009) Gender differences in the histopathology of MS?Journal of the Neurological Sciences286: 86–91.
23.
KunzmannULittleTSmithJ (2000) Is age-related stability of subjective well-being a paradox? Cross-sectional and longitudinal evidence from the Berlin Aging Study. Psychology and Aging15: 511–526.
24.
LachapelleDHadjistavropoulosT (2005) Age-related differences among adults coping with pain: Evaluation of a developmental life-context model. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science37: 123–137.
25.
MoltonIRJensenMPEhdeDM (2007) Phantom limb pain and pain interference in adults with lower extremity amputation. Rehabilitation Psychology52(3): 272–279.
26.
OreniusTKoskelaTKohoP (2013) Anxiety and depression are independent predictors of quality of life of patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain. Journal of Health Psychology18: 167–175.
27.
RichardsonEJRichardsJS (2008) Factor structure of the PHQ-9 screen for depression across time since injury among persons with spinal cord injury. Rehabilitation Psychology53: 243–249.
28.
RileyJWadeJRobinsonM (2000) The stages of pain processing across the adult lifespan. The Journal of Pain1: 162–170.
29.
RustoenTWahlABanestadB (2005) Age and the experience of chronic pain: Differences in health and quality of life among younger, middle-aged, and older adults. The Clinical Journal of Pain21: 513–523.
30.
SiddalPLoeserJ (2001) Pain following spinal cord injury. Spinal Cord39: 63–77.
31.
SobelM (1982) Asymptotic confidence intervals for indirect effects in structural equation models. In: LeinhardyS (ed.) Sociological Methodology. Washington, DC: American Sociological Association, pp. 290–312.
32.
SofaerBMooreAHollowayI (2005) Chronic pain as perceived by older people: A qualitative study. Age and Ageing34: 462–466.
33.
SpitzerRLKroenkeKWilliamsJB (1999) Validation and utility of a self-report version of PRIME-MD: The PHQ primary care study. JAMA282: 1737–1744.
34.
StenagerEKnudsenLJensenK (1995) Acute and chronic pain syndromes in multiple sclerosis. A 5-year follow-up study. Italian Journal of Neurological Sciences16: 629–632.
35.
StroudMTurnerJJensenM (2006) Partner responses to pain behaviors are associated with depression and activity interference among persons with chronic pain and spinal cord injury. The Journal of Pain7: 91–99.
36.
TreharneGJKitasGDLyonsAC (2005) Well-being in rheumatoid arthritis: The effects of disease duration and psychosocial factors. Journal of Health Psychology10: 457–474.
37.
WaltersASWilliamsonGM (1999) The role of pain-related activity restriction in the association between pain and depression: A study of pediatric patients with chronic pain. Children’s Health Care28: 33–50.
38.
Widerstrom-NogaETurkD (2003) Types and effectiveness of treatments used by people with chronic pain associated with spinal cord injuries: Influence of pain and psychosocial characteristics. Spinal Cord41: 600–609.
39.
WilliamsonGM (1998) The central role of restricted normal activities in adjustment to illness and disability: A model of depressed affect. Rehabilitation Psychology34: 327–347.
40.
WilliamsonGMSchulzR (1995) Pain-related activity restriction mediates the association between pain and depressed affect: A study of younger and older adult cancer patients. Psychology and Aging10: 369–378.
41.
WilliamsonGMShafferDRSchulzR (1998) Pain-related activity restriction and prior relationship history as contributors to mental health outcomes among middle-aged and older caregivers. Health Psychology17: 152–162.
