Browsing by Author "Smuts, Melisa"

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    Mental health and chronic pain conditions in a nationally-representative sample of South African adults : a cross-sectional study
    (2008) Smuts, Melisa; Myer, Landon
    Chronic pain is considered a significant burden at both a personal and social level. Not only does it lead to individual suffering and loss of work or social roles, but it also places a great demand on health care systems. Chronic pain has been shown to be associated with both depression and anxiety disorders, adding to the drain on society. Most of the existing research on chronic pain and its association with mental disorders has focused on Europe and North America, with little research firom developing countries. There are few data on the prevalence of chronic pain at a population level in South Africa, and no research into the association between chronic pain and mental health. This study assessed the population prevaicnce and demographic characteristics of people with chronic pain conditions in South Africa, focusing on arthritisirhenrnatisrn and chronic back/neck pain, the two most common forms of chronic pain. The thesis examined the associations between these chronic pain conditions and common mental disorders in South Africa, with particular attention to possible gender differences in this association.