Chronic pain, depression and quality of life in individuals with spinal cord injury: Mediating role of participation.

OBJECTIVE

To test the hypotheses that: (i) pain is associated with depressive symptoms and quality of life; and (ii) participation restriction, satisfaction, and frequency mediate these relationships.

DESIGN

Population-based, cross-sectional study.

SUBJECTS/PATIENTS: Community-dwelling individuals with spinal cord injury (n = 1,549).

METHODS

Hypotheses were tested in individuals with at least moderate chronic pain on the spinal cord injury - Secondary Conditions Scale (n = 834), applying structural equation modelling to data for spinal cord injury subgroups related to lesion severity (paraplegia, tetraplegia, complete, incomplete) and time since injury (≤ 10 vs ≥ 10 years). Model parameters included pain intensity (numerical rating scale), participation frequency, restriction, satisfaction (Utrecht Scale of Evaluation of Rehabilitation-Participation; USER-Participation), depressive symptoms (5-item Mental Health Index of the Short Form Health Survey; MHI-5), and 5 selected quality of life items (World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale; WHOQoL-BREF).

RESULTS

Structural equation models confirmed associations of pain with depressive symptoms and quality of life, as well as the mediating role of participation restriction and low satisfaction with participation. These findings were apparent in individuals with tetraplegia or complete lesion and in those ≤ 10 years since paraplegia or incomplete injury.

CONCLUSION

Unrestricted or satisfactory participation was found to be a crucial resource for individuals living less than 10 years with a more severe spinal cord injury, since it represents buffering potential for the negative effects of chronic pain on mental health and quality of life.