The epidemiology of and outcomes associated with comorbid chronic pain and depression: analysis of Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) data

Project Summary

Pain and depression are common disabling conditions with heavy personal, social, and economic burdens. Importantly, pain and depression often co-occur and individuals with both conditions at the same time report poorer health and functioning than individuals with only depression or only chronic pain. It is not yet known, however, whether age-related declines in thinking and memory are also worse in individuals with combined pain and depression. This study will use data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging to identify important factors (such as sex, income etc.) linked with combined pain and depression, and to examine whether individuals with combined pain and depression show different patterns of thinking and memory decline compared to those with no pain or depression or those with one condition only.