Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34488696›Full record

ArticleBMC psychiatry2021

Relationship between chronic diseases and depression: the mediating effect of pain.

Ying Ma, Qin Xiang, Chaoyang Yan, Hui Liao, Jing Wang

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC psychiatry, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 109 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
109citing papers in PubMed, 6 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

109 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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  15. Psychometric properties of the Arabic IMPACT Bowel Function Short Form for assessing pelvic floor dysfunctions symptoms.Saudi journal of gastroenterology : official journal of the Saudi Gastroenterology Association · 2026
    Article
  16. Observational
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  19. Cheek acupuncture therapy combined with Chinese herbal medicine for female chronic pelvic pain: a retrospective study.Journal of traditional Chinese medicine = Chung i tsa chih ying wen pan · 2026
    Article
  20. Review

49 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Ying MaDepartment of Health Management, School of Medicine and Health Management, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China.
Qin XiangDepartment of Health Management, School of Medicine and Health Management, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China.
Chaoyang YanDepartment of Health Management, School of Medicine and Health Management, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China.
Hui LiaoDepartment of Health Management, School of Medicine and Health Management, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China.
Jing WangDepartment of Health Management, School of Medicine and Health Management, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China. jingwang@hust.edu.cn.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundChronic diseases have a high incidence in China and may cause pain and depression. However, the association of chronic diseases with pain and the incidence of depression has not been comprehensively investigated.

methodsThe study population was obtained from the 2015 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). The cross-sectional data from15,213 persons were included. CHARLS provides nationally representative data from21,097 individuals aged 45 years and older in approximately 150 districts and 450 villages. The main outcome was the incidence of depression. The main independent variable was chronic disease (no chronic disease, one chronic disease, and two or more chronic diseases). The mediators were the degree of pain (no pain, mild pain, and moderate to severe pain) and whether measures were taken to relieve pain (measures taken and no measures taken). We performed chi-square and binary logistic regression analyses of the associations of chronic disease with pain and the incidence of depression. The mediation model was examined using the Sobel test.

resultsPatients with more chronic diseases had more severe pain (OR = 3.697, P < 0.001, CI = 2.919-4.681) and were more likely to develop depression (OR = 2.777, P < 0.001, CI = 2.497-3.090). The degree of pain partially mediated the interaction between chronic disease and depression in this study (t = 7.989, P < 0.001). The incidence of depression was high in people who were female, less educated, unmarried, living in rural areas, and working.

conclusionsThe degree of pain had a partial mediating effect on chronic disease and depression. Pain relief measures should be considered when treating patients with depression.

Indexed as

Chronic PainDepressionChinaChronic DiseaseCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansLongitudinal StudiesPainChronic diseaseDepressionPain reliefPain severity

Identifiers

PMID34488696
PMCPMC8419946

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.