Early Treatment Improvements in Depression Are Associated With Overall Improvements in Fatigue Impact and Pain Interference in Adults With Multiple…

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Ann Behav Med. 2020 Nov 16:kaaa102. doi: 10.1093/abm/kaaa102. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Depression, fatigue, and pain commonly co-occur in multiple sclerosis (MS) and are positively associated with one another. However, it is unclear whether treatment-related improvement in one of these symptoms is associated with improvements in the other two symptoms.

PURPOSE: This study examined whether early improvements in depressive symptoms, fatigue impact, and pain interference during a multisymptom intervention in persons with MS were associated with overall improvements in the other two symptoms.

METHODS: Secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial in which both treatments improved depressive symptoms, fatigue, and pain interference. Adults with MS experiencing chronic pain, chronic fatigue, and/or moderate depressive symptoms (N = 154, 86% women) participated in an 8-week, telephone-delivered intervention: self-management (n = 69) or education (n = 85); intervention groups were combined for the current study. Outcome measures were depressive symptoms (PHQ-9), fatigue impact (Modified Fatigue Impact Scale), and pain interference (Brief Pain Inventory). Path analysis examined associations between pre-to-mid intervention improvement in one symptom (i.e., depression, fatigue, pain interference) and pre-to-post (overall) improvement in the other two symptoms.

RESULTS: Early reduction in depressive symptoms was associated with an overall reduction in pain interference and fatigue impact (ps < .01). Early reduction in fatigue impact was associated with an overall reduction in depressive symptom severity (p = .04) but not pain interference. Early reduction in pain interference was not associated with reductions in fatigue impact or depressive symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest the potential importance of reducing depressive symptoms to overall improvement in fatigue and pain interference in persons with MS.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATIONS: NCT00944190.

PMID:33196779 | DOI:10.1093/abm/kaaa102

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Early Treatment Improvements in Depression Are Associated With Overall Improvements in Fatigue Impact and Pain Interference in Adults With Multiple...