Chronic Pain Prevalence and Psychosocial Burden in the Italian Population from the 2019 European Health Interview Survey.

Abstract

Chronic pain (CP) is a global healthcare concern requiring careful monitoring. In Italy, the most recent CP prevalence estimates date back to 2003. In this work, we analyzed data from the 2019 European Health Interview Survey, based on a representative sample of the Italian population (n = 44,492), to update national CP prevalence estimates and evaluate its psychosocial burden. CP was detected using a validated questionnaire. Our results show that approximately 10.5 million adults (24.1%) suffer from CP; prevalence and intensity are higher among females and increase with age. In 54.3% of cases, CP was triggered by a diagnosed disease, while 13.6% remain undiagnosed and 14.8% do not seek treatment for CP. Severe CP accounts for 29.4% of cases. Individuals with severe CP are significantly more likely to experience difficulties in social participation (OR 4.82; CI 4.41-5.27), increased work absences (OR 4.18; CI 3.53-4.94), depression (OR 7.10; CI 6.22-8.11), and greater use of primary (OR 2.90; CI 2.64-3.18) and specialist healthcare (OR 2.63; CI 2.40-2.89) as well as diagnostic procedures (OR 2.27; CI 2.07-2.49). Among subjects diagnosed with depression or severe chronic anxiety, CP seems to reduce access to mental health care (OR 0.75; CI 0.61-0.92) and increase abandonment due to financial barriers (OR 1.57; CI 1.07-2.31). Unlike a few countries (e.g., Spain and Denmark) that have recorded a generally increasing trend in CP prevalence, our figures confirm a quite stable national epidemiological pattern. Our estimates underscore the need for careful management of CP and its psychosocial burden. Since data were collected just before the COVID-19 pandemic, they may represent a crucial baseline for monitoring post-pandemic trends.