Zembricki, Taylor Marie & Nixon, Sherri. The effects of mental health conditions in patients with complex regional pain syndrome: a systematic review. Retrieved from https://doi.org/doi:10.7282/t3-1pts-xw14
DescriptionPurpose of Project: The quantitative objective was to examine the effects of co-existing mental health conditions on treatment outcomes in patients with complex regional pain syndrome. More specifically, the objectives were to determine the effect of depression and posttraumatic stress disorder on pain relief in patients with complex regional pain.
Methodology: This is a systematic review of quantitative studies involving effective or ineffective pain management and quality of life affected by elevated levels of pain in complex regional pain syndrome. The standard 3-step search strategy of the Joanna Briggs Institute was used to find eligible studies. These were independently screened by title, abstract and full review for relevance by 2 reviewers. Critical appraisal and data extraction were performed by two reviewers working independently.
Results: The search yielded 1,431 relevant articles; one hundred and fifty-two articles remained after screening titles and removing duplicates. Of the 152 articles identified, twenty-seven full text articles were retrieved that met inclusion criteria based on abstract or title; one hundred twenty-five articles were excluded. The majority (n=14) of the full text articles were excluded as they were considered case reports or case studies, or were screening tool development articles, they did not focus on the mental health conditions - depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, and they did not have complex regional pain syndrome as the main diagnosis of the chronic pain spectrum. This review, therefore, comprises thirteen quantitative studies. This review of existing literature found a correlation between depression and post-traumatic stress disorder and treatment efficacy and pain levels experienced by patients diagnosed with complex regional pain syndrome. Data analysis found support for psychiatric screening in the diagnostic process for people with symptoms of complex regional pain syndrome.
Implications for Practice: Screening for psychological symptoms during the initial CRPS screening and diagnosing process was found to be an important aspect of care management. Concurrently treatment complex regional pain syndrome and depressive symptoms, and/or trauma symptoms, can significantly improve quality of life outcomes during the rehabilitation process. Changing practice guidelines to monitor and treat these co-occurring psychiatric conditions could improve an individual’s level of disability and prevent invasive procedures.