A Population-based Study of Depression and Three Kinds of Frequent Pain Conditions and Depression in Hong Kong

To investigate the relationship between three frequent pain conditions and depression among Chinese adults in Hong Kong. A cross-sectional telephone-based survey examined the prevalence and correlates of three kinds of frequent pain and their association with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders major depression in a random sample of 5,004 adults (2,371 males and 2,634 females). The 1-year prevalence rates of frequent spinal pain, headache, and joint pain were 37.2%, 26.7% and 19.9%, respectively. Although all three kinds of pain were more common in females and the unemployed, the sociodemographic profile of risk correlates and association with depression varied across each kind of pain. Spinal pain was more strongly associated with headache and joint pain than headache was associated with joint pain. In logistic regression, the relative risk of depression with the three kinds of pain as predictors varied between 1.6 and 3.4. Depression is strongly associated with pain in Hong Kong, though the pattern of association varies across specific pain conditions. Comprehensive evaluation of pain complaints may improve the recognition of depression as well as the outcome of pain management.