Every April is Stress Awareness Month, an annual initiative aimed at increasing public awareness of the causes, effects, and management of stress.
This year’s theme is #BeTheChange, a call for personal agency, action, and transformation. It highlights the power of our minds, the importance of our actions, and the value of our connections with others.
In this context, the Societal Impact of Pain (SIP) would like to draw attention to the frequent co-occurrence of mental health conditions and chronic pain, which can reinforce each other and lead to a vicious cycle of disability:
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- Depression, anxiety, and pain have an estimated co-morbidity rate of around 65%. Pain prevalence is also notably high in individuals with bipolar disorder, with data indicating that approximately 29% report pain (mainly chronic musculoskeletal pain and migraine) representing more than double the risk compared with those without a mental health condition. Moreover, individuals without a mental health condition but experiencing moderate to severe pain lasting 12 months or more are at increased risk of developing one. Additionally, people living with both pain and mental health conditions, such as major depression, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia, also experience substantially poorer physical health, including a higher risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease, all of which contribute to reduced life expectancy.
Recognising and addressing pain within mental health settings and policies is therefore essential to better meet the needs of people living with both pain and mental health conditions.
In 2023, SIP published a Joint Statement on Pain and Mental Health outlining key recommendations for EU and national policymakers to drive action and change in this area and a leaflet summing up its main takeaways. That year, SIP also produced a Position Paper on Mental Health and Pain.
Further, SIP successfully included more than 25 Amendments to the European Parliament Report on Mental Health. Read more here.