MRI Migraine Specialist Treatment Centers
Many scientific studies have aimed to explain why consistent long-lasting pain is often linked to depression. Little work has been done, however, to test this theory. There are a number of factors that need to be present in pain suffering patients who are also categorized to have depression. This theory states that there is a decline in perceptions of patients suffering from pain and depression. Patients specifically perceive a decrease in active activities, control, and personal power. Unlike other theories, this theory states that pain alone is not enough to cause depression.
This study tested this theory by investigating the link between pain and depression. The study also looked at the underlying symptoms of perception that are involved. No direct link between pain and depression was found. The main symptoms between pain and depression were changes in perception of self-control and life interference. These results show, for the first time, that psychological factors might be involved in the development of depression in patients suffering from chronic pain. But some studies have indicated that chronic pain and depression may be caused by the same thing. This is the opposite to what this study has found.
View the chronic pain and depression paper at this link: Chronic pain and depression: toward a cognitive-behavioral mediation model