The Interplay of Chronic Pain and Mental Health

Around 20% of the general population suffers from chronic pain, and the risk of depression, anxiety, or insomnia is several times higher in individuals with chronic pain than in those without it. Despite its widespread prevalence, the comorbidity of psychiatric disorders in chronic pain populations often falls under the radar of not only clinicians but also patients and their close ones. The recognition of this intersection is crucial for devising effective treatment strategies. Recent studies have emerged, shedding light on the complex interplay between chronic pain and mental health disorders, yet significant gaps remain in understanding the biological and psychosocial mechanisms underlying these conditions and their treatment.

This topic aims to help bring the most recent advancements in the area of chronic pain and mental health to the spotlight. The key goals of this research topic are to 1) improve the understanding of interplay between pain and mental health on both biological and psychosocial level, 2) discover new therapies (both pharmacological and non-pharmacological), 3) advance the knowledge of barriers to optimal care for people with chronic pain and mental health issues and ways to overcome them. Given the interdisciplinary nature of the issue, researchers from various fields, including medicine, psychology, social sciences, and preclinical sciences, are invited to contribute.

We welcome contributions focusing on the following sub-themes:

• comorbidity of mood disorders, anxiety, sleep disturbance, addiction, and other mental health problems with pain, as well as novel approaches to their management
• epidemiology of mental health problems in chronic pain
• common etiopathogenesis of pain and psychiatric disorders
• psychological, biological, and psychosocial mechanisms contributing to pain and mental health comorbidity
• new treatments for people with chronic pain and psychiatric disorders
• barriers to optimal care for individuals with pain and mental health issues
• pathways for advancement in the diagnosis and management of chronic pain and psychiatric disorders comorbidity
• differences in how pain is processed in people with diverse mental health problems
• works exploring the fibromyalgia population from a biological and psychosocial perspective, as well as reporting on new treatment possibilities, are of special interest to this research topic.

Keywords: chronic pain, depression, anxiety, addiction, mental health, multidisciplinary pain management, fibromyalgia

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.