Emociones Negativas en Pacientes con Lumbalgia Crónica

Abstract

The objective was to evaluate anxiety, depression and anger in patients with chronic lumbar pain and in a patient control group. Materials and Method: the sample included n=54 patients and n=51 controls (15 men and 39 women) who were an average age of 49.20 years old. All were evaluated by means of the Beck Depression Inventory, the Situations and Anxiety Answers Inventory and the Anger Expression Inventory. The results show that patients with chronic lumbar pain reach higher levels of depression and anxiety compared with the control group (p< .001). The group of patients with lumbar pain obtains high levels in the subscales: state anger (p< .01), trait anger (p< .001), temperament (p< .001), anger inhibition (p< .001) and anger expression (p< .01). Gender differences were observed, both intra-group differences (p< .01) and inter-group differences (p< .05) in anx- iety, depression and anger. In conclusion, psychological treatment must be included in chronic lumbar pain protocols.