Study validates accuracy of depression screening for people with chronic pain

MedicalXpress | mai 13, 2026

A new study has found that a widely used depression screening questionnaire is accurate for people with and without chronic pain, debunking a common misconception that the screening inflates depression scores for people with chronic pain. Some clinicians and researchers had believed a person with chronic pain might score higher on the eight-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-8) because they can't sleep or experience fatigue, which are symptoms of both pain and depression.