Pain symptoms in depression: definition and clinical significance.

This article presents the findings of a focused literature review and consensus meetings on the definition and clinical significance of painful symptoms in patients with depression. About 50% of depressed patients report pain, and many types of pain occur more frequently in people with depression than in those without. There is some evidence that pain in depressed patients is associated with a poor response to treatment. Pain and depression may share common pathways and may both respond to treatment with certain antidepressants. Doctors need to be alert to pain in depressed patients and be prepared to treat it.