Psychological Distress in Acute Low Back Pain: A Review of Measurement Scales and Levels of Distress Reported in the First 2 Months After Pain Onset

• Published in: Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation Vol. 97; no. 9; pp. 1573 - 1587
• Main Authors: Shaw, William S., PhD, Hartvigsen, Jan, PhD, Woiszwillo, Mary J., BA, Linton, Steven J., PhD, Reme, Silje E., PhD
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.09.2016
• Subjects: Anxiety; Anxiety - diagnosis; Anxiety - psychology; Depression; Depression - diagnosis; Depression - psychology; Humans; Low back pain; Low Back Pain - psychology; Low Back Pain - rehabilitation; Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation; Physical Therapy Modalities - standards; Rehabilitation; Review [publication type]; Stress, Psychological - diagnosis; Stress, Psychological - psychology; Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression; Low back pain; BDI; CI; Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale; Depression; SF-12; Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey; SF-36; ZSRDS; Review [publication type]; Medical Outcomes Study 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey; CES-D; Anxiety; confidence interval; Rehabilitation; LBP; Beck Depression Inventory
• ISSN: 0003-9993; 1532-821X; 1532-821X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apmr.2016.02.004

Abstract Objective To characterize the measurement scales and levels of psychological distress reported among published studies of acute low back pain (LBP) in the scientific literature. Data Sources Peer-reviewed scientific literature found in 8 citation index search engines (CINAHL, Embase, MANTIS, PsycINFO, PubMed, Web of Science, AMED, and Academic Search Premier) for the period from January 1, 1966, to April 30, 2015, in English, Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish languages. Study Selection Cross-sectional, case-control, cohort, or randomized controlled trials assessing psychological distress and including participants drawn from patients and workers (or an identifiable subset) with acute LBP (<8wk). Three researchers independently screened titles, abstracts, and full-length articles to identify peer-reviewed studies according to established eligibility criteria. Data Extraction Descriptive data (study populations, definitions of LBP, distress measures) were systematically extracted and reviewed for risk of bias. Distress measures were described, and data were pooled in cases of identical measures. Reported levels of distress were contextualized using available population norms, clinical comparison groups, and established clinical cutoff scores. Data Synthesis Of 10,876 unique records, 23 articles (17 studies) were included. The most common measures were the Beck Depression Inventory, the modified version of the Zung Self-Rated Depression Scale, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale, and the Medical Outcomes Study 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey and Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey. Pooled results for these scales showed consistent elevations in depression, but not anxiety, and reduced mental health status in comparison with the general population. Conclusions Based on the high consistency across studies using valid measures with a low to moderate risk of bias, there is strong evidence that psychological distress is elevated in acute LBP.