Screening Anxiety and Depression Among Patients with Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain Within Physiotherapy Practices

NCT ID: NCT06785883

Last Updated: 2025-01-21

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Total Enrollment: 750 participants
• Study Classification: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2023-01-02
• Study Completion Date: 2025-01-02

Brief Summary

This study will investigate whether physiotherapists can accurately identify symptoms of anxiety and of depression in patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain (primary aim). The prevalence of co-morbid anxiety and depression in patients with chronic neck and / or shoulder pain, chronic low back pain, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis or fibromyalgia within physiotherapy practices will be established (secondary aim).

Detailed Description

The International Classification of Diseases describes chronic musculoskeletal pain as pain that arises as part of a disease process directly affecting bones, joints, muscle or related soft tissue lasting longer than 3 months. The global burden of chronic musculoskeletal pain is substantial, with a recent systematic review indicating a 26% prevalence in the general adult population and 39% in those older than 65 year. Chronic musculoskeletal pain also contributes to almost 20% of the global years-lived with disability, and it is one of the major causes of work loss and early retirement. Population-based research has shown that chronic pain conditions are risk factors for developing depression and anxiety. Co-morbid depression and anxiety are strongly associated with more severe pain, greater disability, and poorer health related quality of life. Both are also important reasons for poor treatment adherence within physiotherapy practices. When managing patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain, physiotherapists need to be able to identify patients who have an increased likelihood of depression and anxiety and to facilitate appropriate management by either facilitating patients in coping with anxiety and depression via for example physical activity or relaxation techniques and/or referring them to a medical practitioner for definitive diagnosis and intervention. Although there is some recognition of screening for depression in physiotherapy practices, the role physiotherapists can have in detecting anxiety and depression is largely ignored. The primary aim of this project will be to investigate whether physiotherapists can accurately identify symptoms of anxiety and of depression in patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain. The focus will in particular be on patients with chronic neck and / or shoulder pain, chronic low back pain, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis or fibromyalgia. The accuracy of screening via a numeric rating scale will be compared with the accuracy of screening via 2 brief items. A secondary aim is to describe the prevalence of co-morbid anxiety and depression in patients with chronic neck and / or shoulder pain, chronic low back pain, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis or fibromyalgia within physiotherapy practices.

Conditions

Osteoarthitis; Fibromyalgia; Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA; Low Back Pain; Neck Pain

Study Design

• Observational Model Type: OTHER
• Study Time Perspective: CROSS_SECTIONAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

Physiotherapists:

• Physiotherapists of AXXON, the Belgian Professional Physiotherapy Organization.

Patients

• Self-reported chronic neck and / or shoulder pain, chronic low back pain, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis or fibromyalgia.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 100 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

KU Leuven

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Davy Vancampfort

Professor

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

Private physiotherapy practices

Leuven, , Belgium

Countries

Belgium

Other Identifiers

S67100

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id