Pain in ambulatory AIDS patients .2. Impact of pain on psychological functioning and quality of life

The relationships among pain, psychological distress and other quality of life concerns were examined through a prospective cross-sectional survey of 438 ambulatory AIDS patients recruited from health care facilities in New York City. In this sample, 274 (62.6%) patients reported frequent or persistent pain during the prior 2 wks. Patients with and without pain completed a questionnaire packet that included measures of psychological symptom distress (Brief Symptom Inventory and the Psychological Distress Subscale of the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale), depression (Beck Depression Inventory and Beck Hopelessness Scale), social support (Social Support Questionnaire), and overall quality of life (Functional Living Index - Cancer, modified for AIDS). Multivariate analyses (MANOVA, multiple regression) revealed significant associations between the presence and intensity of pain and scores on the measures of psychological distress, depression, hopelessness, and quality of life (P < 0.0001 for most analyses). Perceived adequacy of social support was also significantly associated with lower levels of psychological distress and depression, and better quality of life. These results demonstrate the significant relationships between pain, psychological well-being, and quality of life, and affirm the need to provide adequate treatment of pain in patients with AIDS.