The implications of pain and physical symptoms in depression.

Patients with major depression often have painful physical symptoms. The synergy of co-occurring depression and pain impacts patients' mental and physical well-being as well as their occupational and social functioning. The presence of painful physical symptoms in patients with depression also lessens the ability of patients to achieve remission, which is the clinical standard for patient outcomes. Clinicians should be aware that depression often co-occurs with painful physical symptoms and that this relationship has a negative impact on patients' functional outcomes, remission, and recovery. Copyright 2009 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.