Relationship between depressive symptoms and acute low back pain at first medical consultation, three and six weeks of primary care

Background: Aim of the study was to test lagged reciprocal effects of depressive symptoms and acute low back pain (LBP) across the first weeks of primary care. Methods: In a prospective inception cohort study, 221 primary care patients with acute or subacute LBP were assessed at the time of initial...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Elfering, A., Käser, A., Melloh, Markus
Format: Journal Article
Published: 2014
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/44356
_version_ 1848756977551802368
author Elfering, A.
Käser, A.
Melloh, Markus
author_facet Elfering, A.
Käser, A.
Melloh, Markus
author_sort Elfering, A.
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Background: Aim of the study was to test lagged reciprocal effects of depressive symptoms and acute low back pain (LBP) across the first weeks of primary care. Methods: In a prospective inception cohort study, 221 primary care patients with acute or subacute LBP were assessed at the time of initial consultation and then followed up at three and six weeks. Key measures were depressive symptoms (modified Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale) and LBP (sensory pain, present pain index and visual analogue scale of the Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire). Results: When only cross-lagged effects of six weeks were tested, a reciprocal positive relationship between LBP and depressive symptoms was shown in a cross-lagged structural equation model (ß =.15 and.17, p <.01). When lagged reciprocal paths at three-and six-week follow-up were tested, depressive symptoms at the time of consultation predicted higher LBP severity after three weeks (ß =.23, p <.01). LBP after three weeks had in turn a positive cross-lagged effect on depression after six weeks (ß =.27, p <.001). Conclusions: Reciprocal effects of depressive symptoms and LBP seem to depend on time under medical treatment. Health practitioners should screen for and treat depressive symptoms at the first consultation to improve the LBP treatment. © 2013 Taylor and Francis.
first_indexed 2025-11-14T09:20:46Z
format Journal Article
id curtin-20.500.11937-44356
institution Curtin University Malaysia
institution_category Local University
last_indexed 2025-11-14T09:20:46Z
publishDate 2014
recordtype eprints
repository_type Digital Repository
spelling curtin-20.500.11937-443562017-09-13T14:14:26Z Relationship between depressive symptoms and acute low back pain at first medical consultation, three and six weeks of primary care Elfering, A. Käser, A. Melloh, Markus Background: Aim of the study was to test lagged reciprocal effects of depressive symptoms and acute low back pain (LBP) across the first weeks of primary care. Methods: In a prospective inception cohort study, 221 primary care patients with acute or subacute LBP were assessed at the time of initial consultation and then followed up at three and six weeks. Key measures were depressive symptoms (modified Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale) and LBP (sensory pain, present pain index and visual analogue scale of the Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire). Results: When only cross-lagged effects of six weeks were tested, a reciprocal positive relationship between LBP and depressive symptoms was shown in a cross-lagged structural equation model (ß =.15 and.17, p <.01). When lagged reciprocal paths at three-and six-week follow-up were tested, depressive symptoms at the time of consultation predicted higher LBP severity after three weeks (ß =.23, p <.01). LBP after three weeks had in turn a positive cross-lagged effect on depression after six weeks (ß =.27, p <.001). Conclusions: Reciprocal effects of depressive symptoms and LBP seem to depend on time under medical treatment. Health practitioners should screen for and treat depressive symptoms at the first consultation to improve the LBP treatment. © 2013 Taylor and Francis. 2014 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/44356 10.1080/13548506.2013.780131 restricted
spellingShingle Elfering, A.
Käser, A.
Melloh, Markus
Relationship between depressive symptoms and acute low back pain at first medical consultation, three and six weeks of primary care
title Relationship between depressive symptoms and acute low back pain at first medical consultation, three and six weeks of primary care
title_full Relationship between depressive symptoms and acute low back pain at first medical consultation, three and six weeks of primary care
title_fullStr Relationship between depressive symptoms and acute low back pain at first medical consultation, three and six weeks of primary care
title_full_unstemmed Relationship between depressive symptoms and acute low back pain at first medical consultation, three and six weeks of primary care
title_short Relationship between depressive symptoms and acute low back pain at first medical consultation, three and six weeks of primary care
title_sort relationship between depressive symptoms and acute low back pain at first medical consultation, three and six weeks of primary care
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/44356