Back and neck pain are related to mental health problems in adolescence

One thousand five hundred and eighty participants (mean age 14.1 years) from the Western Australian Pregnancy (Raine) Study provided cross-sectional spinal pain and CBCL data.As predicted, there was a high prevalence of back and neck pain in this cohort. On the whole, females reported more mental health difficulties than males. There were strong relationships between the majority of symptom scales of the CBCL and back and neck pain. Scores on the CBCL were associated with higher odds of comorbid back and neck pain.These findings strongly support the need to consider both psychological and pain symptoms when providing assessments and treatment for adolescents. Further research is required to inform causal models.Significant biological, emotional, intellectual and social changes take place during adolescence and mental health problems are relatively common in this age group. The population point- prevalence of mental health disorder in those aged between 13 and 17 years residing in Australia and the United States has been reliably estimated at around 11% - 12% [1,2]. Adolescent mental health problems may be short-term states, or persistent long-term patterns [3]. Persistent long-term patterns are of concern as they may be precursors of adult psychopathology. Many of the common forms of child and adolescent mental health problems are substantially correlated [4]. Notwithstanding this, many adult disorders, such as major depression and social phobia, definitely occur in childhood and adolescence, starting much earlier than used to be thought possible [5]. For example, major depression is a common and serious disorder of adolescence. Lifetime prevalence increases dramatically from 1% of the population under 12 to approximately 17% - 25% by the end of adolescence [6]. Genetic factors and exposure to early adversity in the form of socioeconomic disadvantage, parental mental illness or substance use, family dysfunction, and stressful life-events are key risk factors [6,7].