By Crystal Lindell

Young people with chronic pain are more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression, according to new research published in JAMA Pediatrics.

Researchers in the U.S. and Australia reviewed 79 previous studies involving over 12,600 youths with chronic pain. The average age was about 14. Many live with chronic illnesses such as juvenile idiopathic arthritis, fibromyalgia, Crohn’s disease and colitis. 

The research team found that 34.6% had an anxiety disorder and 12.2% had depression. Those rates are more than 3 times higher than what is normally seen in a community setting.

Researchers say mental health screening, prevention and treatment should be a priority for young people with chronic pain. 

“A simple way to put this into practice would be for pain practitioners to consider a short screening assessment for symptoms of anxiety and depression in young patients,” said lead author Joanne Dudeney, PhD, a clinical psychologist and research fellow at Macquarie University in Australia.

“This is a vulnerable population, and if we’re not considering the mental health component, it’s likely we’re also not going to achieve the clinical improvements we want to see.”

The findings are surprising to me because I would have expected the rates of anxiety and depression to be even higher. Chronic pain is depressing, and it’s also natural that dealing with it would cause anxiety. Plus, the teenage years are infamous for being a hotbed of intense emotions – even for those who aren’t dealing with physical ailments. 

So if you had asked me to guess how many teens with chronic pain had depression and/or anxiety, I would have said something closer to 95 percent. It’s a wonder how anyone with chronic pain is not depressed or anxious. 

Regardless, I’m always glad to see more data like this, validating the experiences of those of us with chronic pain – especially when it comes to younger patients. Anyone who is more likely to suffer from mental health problems should be screened for them so they can get treatment.

Many doctors try to blame pain symptoms on depression and anxiety, so I always worry that research like this will somehow be used against patients. I could easily see doctors focusing on the mental health issues associated with chronic pain more than the physical ones after reading this study. 

The more hopeful scenario though is that this type of research is instead used to save lives and to make being alive easier for young pain patients. If more mental health screenings are able to prevent and treat depression, anxiety, and coping behaviors like self-harm, drug use and even suicidal ideation, that would be incredible. 

If you’re young and dealing with chronic pain, depression and/or anxiety, I want you to know that I am out here rooting for you. Your life matters in ways you can’t even fully grasp yet, and we need you to keep going. The world is a better place with you in it.