Prevalence of chronic benign pain disorder among adults: a review of the literature

• Published in: Pain Vol. 77; no. 3; pp. 231 - 239
• Main Authors: Verhaak, Peter F.M, Kerssens, Jan J, Dekker, Joost, Sorbi, Marjolijn J, Bensing, Jozien M
• Format: Book Review Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.09.1998; Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Chronic Disease; Chronic pain; Epidemiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Illness and personality; Illness, stress and coping; Middle Aged; Netherlands - epidemiology; Pain - epidemiology; Prevalence; Psychology and medicine; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Netherlands; Epidemiology; Chronic pain; Human; Chronic; Survey; Pain; Review
• ISSN: 0304-3959; 1872-6623
• DOI: 10.1016/S0304-3959(98)00117-1

In this review epidemiological studies concerning chronic benign pain among adults are discussed. To this end, studies focusing on chronic pain, reporting prevalences at a population or primary health care level, including subjects aged between 18 and 75 years have been collected and analyzed. Focus of analysis was on research methods, definitions of chronic benign pain used, and reported prevalences. Prevalences varied between 2% and 40% of the population. Nor method used (telephone survey, postal survey, nor definition of chronicity (>1 month; >3 months; >6 months) clearly explained the differences in prevalence in the various studies. Implications for future research are discussed.