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Cited by 70Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive ProcessesPain Management and Opioid UseMusculoskeletal pain and rehabilitation

Mental Pain as a Transdiagnostic Patient-Reported Outcome Measure

Fava, Giovanni A., Tomba, Elena, Brakemeier, Eva-Lotta, Carrozzino, Danilo, Cosci, Fiammetta, Eöry, Ajándék, Leonardi, Tommaso, Schamong, Isabel +1 more·2019·Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics
DOI 10.1159/000504024
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Abstract

Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) refer to any report coming directly from patients about how they function or feel in relation to a health condition or its therapy. PROs have been applied in medicine for the assessment of the impact of clinical phenomena. Self-report scales and procedures for assessing physical pain in adults have been developed and used in clinical trials. However, insufficient attention has been dedicated to the assessment of mental pain. The aim of this paper is to outline the implications that assessment of mental pain may entail in psychiatry and medicine, with particular reference to a clinimetric index. A simple 10-item self-rating questionnaire, the Mental Pain Questionnaire (MPQ), encompasses the specific clinical features of mental pain and shows good clinimetric properties (i.e., sensitivity, discriminant and incremental validity). The preliminary data suggest that the MPQ may qualify as a PRO measure to be included in clinical trials. Assessment of mental pain may have important clinical implications in intervention research, both in psychopharmacology and psychotherapy. The transdiagnostic features of mental pain are supported by its association with a number of psychiatric disorders, such as depression, anxiety, eating disorders, as well as borderline personality disorder. Further, addressing mental pain may be an important pathway to prevent and diminish the opioid epidemic. The data summarized here indicate that mental pain can be incorporated into current psychiatric assessment and included as a PRO measure in treatment outcome studies.

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  • Psychological pain has been increasingly recognised as a core construct underlying a wide range of psychiatric conditions, particularly those associated with emotional distress, impaired self-concept, and suicidal behaviour.

    “In recent years, psychological pain has been increasingly recognised as a core construct underlying a wide range of psychiatric conditions [1], particularly those associated with emotional distress, impaired self-concept, and suicidal behaviour.”

    From Targeting Psychological Pain After a Suicide Attempt: Scoping Review and Intervention Protocol (2026) · cites this paper as [1]

  • Psychological pain is transdiagnostic and has a potential role as a proximal mechanism linking subjective suffering to adverse clinical outcomes, including suicidal ideation and behaviour.

    “The interest in psychological pain in mental health research and intervention is growing due to its transdiagnostic characteristics [1,2], adding to its potential role as a proximal mechanism linking subjective suffering to adverse clinical outcomes, including suicidal ideation and behaviour [3].”

    From Targeting Psychological Pain After a Suicide Attempt: Scoping Review and Intervention Protocol (2026) · cites this paper as [1]

  • Psychological pain is a transdiagnostic marker of psychopathology; thus, targeting psychological pain may induce improvements in other psychopathologies such as depression, anxiety or hopelessness.

    “Finally, psychological pain is a transdiagnostic marker of psychopathology [1,2]; thus, targeting psychological pain may induce improvements in other psychopathologies such as depression, anxiety or hopelessness.”

    From Targeting Psychological Pain After a Suicide Attempt: Scoping Review and Intervention Protocol (2026) · cites this paper as [1]

  • In a preliminary study of carbamazepine-associated withdrawal reaction after microvascular decompression for trigeminal neuralgia, new withdrawal symptoms occurred and were dependent on pre-operative carbamazepine dosage and changing rate of pre- and post-operative drug blood concentrations.

    “a preliminary study on carbamazepineassociated withdrawal reaction after microvascular decompression to treat trigeminal neuralgia showed the occurrence of new withdrawal symptoms (i.e., insomnia, dysphoria, hand fremitus, hallucination, severe headache), which were found dependent on the pre-operative dosage of carbamazepine and the changing rate of preand post-operative drug blood concentrations”

    From Acute and Persistent Withdrawal Syndromes Following Discontinuation of Psychotropic Medications (2020) · cites this paper as [177]

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  • Psychological pain is a widely accepted transdiagnostic dimension with specific neurobiological bases and validated measurement tools.

    “Psychological pain describes a widely accepted transdiagnostic dimension9 with specific neurobiological bases10,11 and validated measurement tools.8,12”

    From “Nothing Hurts Less Than Being Dead”: Psychological Pain in Case Descriptions of Psychiatric Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide from the Netherlands: « Rien ne fait moins mal qu’être mort »: La douleur psychologique dans les descriptions de cas d’euthanasie et de suicide assisté psychiatrique aux Pays-Bas (2020) · cites this paper as [9]

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Authors
Fava, G. A., Tomba, E., Brakemeier, E.-L., Carrozzino, D., Cosci, F., Eöry, A., Leonardi, T., Schamong, I., & Guidi, J.
Affiliations
  • University at Buffalo, State University of New York (US)
  • University of Bologna (IT)
  • Philipps University of Marburg (DE)
  • University of Chieti-Pescara (IT)
  • University of Florence (IT)
  • Massachusetts General Hospital (US)
ORCID
Venue
Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics
Publisher
S. Karger AG
Published
2019
Volume
88
Issue
6
Pages
341-349
ISSN
  • 0033-3190 (ISSN-L)
  • 1423-0348
DOI
10.1159/000504024
OpenAlex
W2982356171
Cited by
70
References
85
Citations by year
2026: 8 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 13
FWCI
1.41
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
Locations
  • Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Archivio istituzionale della ricerca (Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna) (submittedVersion)
  • Florence Research (University of Florence) (submittedVersion)
  • Semmelweis University Repository (Semmelweis University) (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine › Pain Management and Opioid Use
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Musculoskeletal pain and rehabilitation
Keywords
psychological suffering, patient-reported outcomes, transdiagnostic features, clinimetric properties, self-report questionnaire, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, borderline personality disorder, opioid epidemic, psychopharmacology, psychotherapy, treatment outcome assessment
MeSH terms
Patient Reported Outcome Measures, Mental Disorders, Humans, Pain, Pain Measurement, Psychopharmacology, Psychotherapy, Surveys and Questionnaires

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