Impacto multidimensional na qualidade de vida relacionada à saúde em pacientes com dor crônica

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the multidimensional impact of chronic pain on health-related quality of life in patients, comparing the repercussions between diagnoses and genders. Method: Exploratory clinical study conducted with 17 individuals with chronic pain. Quality of life was assessed using the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) questionnaire. Results: The sample was predominantly female (70.6%), with a mean age of 51.8 years and a higher prevalence of fibromyalgia (70.6%). The lowest mean scores for quality of life were observed in the domains of physical functioning limitations (19.1), emotional aspects (27.4), and pain (28.1). There was a statistically significant difference in the vitality domain when comparing diagnoses (p = 0.044), with higher impairment in fibromyalgia. In the gender comparison, a significant difference was identified in the mental health domain (p = 0.013), revealing worse psychological scores in females. Conclusion: Chronic pain severely compromises quality of life in a multidimensional manner. Vitality is more affected in fibromyalgia, and mental health shows gender disparity, reinforcing the need for interdisciplinary and humanized intervention programs in managing these conditions.