Resilience, depression, and quality of life in elderly individuals with chronic pain followed up in an outpatient clinic in the city of São Paulo, Brazil.

PURPOSE

In this study, we assessed resilience, depression, and quality of life in a group of elderly individuals with or without chronic pain.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A cross-sectional study assessing elderly individuals followed up at a geriatrics outpatient clinic and divided into two groups: 54 elderly patients with chronic pain and 54 elderly with no chronic pain.

RESULTS

The sample comprised mainly women (67.6%), with mean age 79.9 years. The mean resilience index in the group with pain was 69.4 and, in the group with no pain, 80.1 (<0.001). Depression was observed in 35.2% of patients with chronic pain; there was no case of depression in those without chronic pain. Quality of life of the elderly with chronic pain was worse in all the domains assessed: physical, mental, emotional, social, vitality, and pain.

CONCLUSION

In the study sample, resilience was lower, depression was more frequent, and quality of life was worse in the group of elderly with chronic pain.