The relationship between pain and depression and anxiety in people with inflammatory arthritis: A systematic review
Authors' conclusion
A modest bidirectional association exists between pain and depression in inflammatory arthritis (based on very low-quality evidence)
Study context
- Population
- People with RA/spondyloarthritis79 studies
- Comparison
- Associations between pain and depression/anxiety
- Outcome
- Associations between pain and depression/anxiety
Methodological detailsvote-counting/meta-analysis, narrative synthesis, JBI critical appraisal, GRADE
- Vote-counting/meta-analysis
- Narrative synthesis
- JBI critical appraisal
- GRADE
Pooled result
As reported in the abstract
Pain–depression associations
Pain higher in those with depression (single time points), SMD (95% CI 0.54,0.84); moderate effect
0.69
Pain (outcome) and depression (explanatory variable), linear regressions, SMD (0.31,0.99)
0.65
Depression (outcome) and pain (explanatory variable), linear regressions, SMD (0.03,0.45)
0.24
Further pooled results
Pain–anxiety associations
- Pain (outcome) and anxiety (explanatory variable), SMD (0.001,0.05); minimal
- 0.03
- Anxiety (outcome) and pain (explanatory variable), SMD (0.20,0.91); moderate
- 0.55
- Findings mixed for anxiety
Treatment effects
- Anti-depressants reduced pain in people with comorbid depression
Risk of bias
- High risk of bias
- 35%
- Moderate risk of bias
- 34%
- Low risk of bias
- 30%
- Evidence quality very low/low
Original publication
The relationship between pain and depression and anxiety in people with inflammatory arthritis: A systematic review. Semin Arthritis Rheum. Published 12 August 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →