Men, Women and Depression

Depression due to long term pain and sickness makes women more disabled than men. This was found in a study published in the European Journal of Pain. Researchers found that treatment procedures that reduced stress and pain in arthritis and back pain patients will reduce disability. Doctors can help reduce disability in female patients by targeting their depression. The study involved 260 chronic pain patients from the Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases and found growing evidence that psychosocial factors can effect a person's health and behavior. This research also shows that pain related emotions are associated with pain related behavior, and it also highlights a significant discrepancy between the behaviors of men and women.