RESUMO
OBJECTIVES: The purposes of this study were to investigate the frequency and clinical characteristics of pain among the psychiatric out-patients in three clinics. METHODS: A Total of 843 psychiatric adult out-patients (298 subjects from a private clinic, 99 subjects from a general hospital, 446 subjects from a university hospital) were assessed for the presence of pain during OPD follow-up and at the time assessed. And, the presence of organic causes, duration and site of pain, aggravating factors, compensation problems, and prescribed drugs were also investigated. RESULTS: 1) The frequency of pain among psychiatric out-patients was overall 41.3% (44.9% in private clinic, 44.5% in general hospital, and 38.1% in university hospital, respectively). 2) The frequency of pain at the time assessed was 24.1%. In severity of pain, the average of VAS was 46.7+/-18.0mm. Patients of private clinic showed more severe pain than that of general hospital. Moreover, patients who experienced over 'marked' occupied 34.0% and pain as over 'distressed' occupied 26.2%. 3) Only a few subjects had the definite organic causes (1.5-5.9%). The most common site of pain was on head. The patients having a pain over 6 months (i.e. chronic pain) occupied 68.7%. 4) The most common drugs prescribed were anxiolytics; 41.4% of patients were prescribed. The analgesics were prescribed only in 3.2% of patients. CONCLUSION: This result revealed that more than 40% of patients experienced pain in psychiatric OPD and two third of patients were suffered from chronic pain. Therefore, the evaluation and management of pain should be more emphasized.