Introduction:

Adaptation to chronic non-oncologic pain is associated with the development of psychopathology and personality disorders, creating severity, chronicity, poorer treatment response, and exacerbations in patients with neuropathy.

Objective:

To identify the psychopathological and personality profiles of patients with chronic nociceptive and neuropathic pain and their association with pain progression and intensity.

Method:

A cross-sectional, descriptive and comparative study was conducted in the Pain Treatment Unit of Hospital Universitari Sagrat Cor, with systematic randomized recruitment for 25 months; 115 patients were evaluated using the Hamilton Depression and Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-D, HAM-A) and the Millon Clinical Multiaxial

Inventory-III (MCMI-III).

Results:

The neuropathic group achieved significantly higher scores for pain intensity and depressive and anxiety symptoms. With greater magnitude and frequency, the neuropathic group related pain intensity and progression with depressive/anxiety symptoms, clinical syndromes, and personality patterns. Both groups revealed tendencies towards a compulsive personality pattern, followed by narcissistic, histrionic, and schizoid patterns.

Conclusions:

When treating chronic pain, the presence of various psychopathological indicators requires an individualized strategy.

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