Prevalence of mental health conditions and pain in adults with skeletal dysplasia

Purpose We sought to examine the prevalence of depression and anxiety in adults with skeletal dysplasias, and to assess any correlations with pain. Methods Participation was via an anonymous REDCap survey, which consisted of sociodemographic questions followed by the brief pain inventory-short form (BPI-SF), patient health questionnaire-8 (PHQ-8), and generalized anxiety disorder-7 (GAD-7) questionnaires. These assessed pain, depression, and anxiety respectively. Results Of the 336 usable responses, 16.1% scored 10 or greater on the PHQ-8 consistent with current depression while 17.3% scored 10 or greater on the GAD-7 consistent with current anxiety. The majority of participants (76.2%) experienced pain, which was significantly associated with prior mental health diagnoses (p < 0.05). A total of 34% reported either a prior diagnosis of depression or scored 10 or greater on the PHQ-8, and 31% reported either a prior diagnosis of anxiety or scored 10 or greater on the GAD-7. Conclusions This study identified a substantial percentage of individuals with mental health concerns as well as pain in the adult skeletal dysplasia population. Further research is warranted to investigate barriers to service or treatment of mental health disorders as well as pain management.