The researchers found that two years post diagnosis women with breast cancer were not more likely to be depressed but were more likely to experience
a lowered sense of control over their life, and lower general health, with lessened vitality being limited to older women.
Results: After
controlling for the effects
of age, sex and duration
of pain, depressive symptoms were most strongly correlated with a combination
of catastrophising,
sense of control over life, physical disability, pain self - efficacy beliefs, higher use
of unhelpful self - management strategies and
lower perceived social support.
Our finding that the severity
of depressive symptoms in our sample
of patients with chronic pain was best correlated with a combination
of heightened catastrophising, reduced
sense of control over life, increased physical disability,
lower pain self - efficacy beliefs, higher use
of unhelpful self - management strategies, and
lower perceived social support (after
controlling for the possible effects
of age, sex and duration
of pain) is consistent with previous studies
of patients with chronic pain.26 Interestingly, and somewhat contrary to clinical expectations, pain severity, pain - related distress, and fear
of movement / (re) injury were not significantly associated with depressive symptom severity.