Double Trouble: Pain is Depressing. Depression is Painful.

Millions of Americans struggle with both conditions, new research finds, suggesting a rethink of treatment options

This article is part of a Wise & Well Special Report: The United States of Depression.

Two of the most vexing health problems in America and much of Western society are depression and chronic pain. Might the two conditions be related? Highly related, new research finds.

While statistics on both conditions vary depending on how they are collected and analyzed, studies suggest somewhere between 18% and 29% of American adults have struggled with depression at some point in their lives, and more than 8% are clinically depressed at any given time. Meanwhile, somewhere between 15% and 21% of US adults face chronic pain on a daily basis. The prevalence of both is increasing, even as solutions often remain out of reach for many people.

Now this: Some 12 million US adults have co-occurring chronic pain with anxiety or depression symptoms, scientists concluded last week in the journal Pain.

The impact on individual lives and on society as a whole is profound. Among people who struggle with chronic pain and anxiety or depression, 70% report limited abilities at work, 55% find social activities difficult, and 44% have trouble just doing their own errands, the study found. Having the conditions together also complicates efforts to treat…