Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36978016›Full record

SynthesisBMC musculoskeletal disorders2023

The association between psychosocial factors and mental health symptoms in cervical spine pain with or without radiculopathy on health outcomes: a systematic review.

Michael Mansfield, Mick Thacker, Joseph L Taylor, Kirsty Bannister, Nicolas Spahr, Stephanie T Jong, Toby Smith

Open access · goldFull text readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMC musculoskeletal disorders, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
12citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
4.4field-weighted citation impact, top 6% of its field
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

12 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 18 citations in OpenAlex.

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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

7 authors at 5 institutions in 2 countries.

Michael MansfieldFaculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK. m.mansfield@bham.ac.uk.
Mick ThackerSchool of Physiotherapy, Royal College of Surgeons Ireland, 123 St Stephen's Green, Dublin 2, Ireland.
Joseph L TaylorWolfson Centre of Age Related Diseases, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Central Modulation of Pain, King's College London, London, SE1 1UL, UK.
Kirsty BannisterWolfson Centre of Age Related Diseases, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Central Modulation of Pain, King's College London, London, SE1 1UL, UK.
Nicolas SpahrPhysiotherapy Department, Guy's and St Thomas Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, St Thomas Hospital, Westminster Bridge Road, London, UK.
Stephanie T JongFaculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK.
Toby SmithFaculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK.
King's College London · GBUniversity of East Anglia · GBRoyal College of Surgeons in Ireland · IESt Thomas' Hospital · GBUniversity of Warwick · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundNeck pain, with or without radiculopathy, can have significant negative effects on physical and mental wellbeing. Mental health symptoms are known to worsen prognosis across a range of musculoskeletal conditions. Understanding the association between mental health symptoms and health outcomes in this population has not been established. Our aim was to systematically review the association between psychosocial factors and/or mental health symptoms on health outcomes in adults with neck pain, with or without radiculopathy.

methodsA systematic review of published and unpublished literature databases was completed. Studies reporting mental health symptoms and health outcomes in adults with neck pain with or without radiculopathy were included. Due to significant clinical heterogeneity, a narrative synthesis was completed. Each outcome was assessed using GRADE.

resultsTwenty-three studies were included (N = 21,968 participants). Sixteen studies assessed neck pain only (N = 17,604 participants); seven studies assessed neck pain with radiculopathy (N = 4,364 participants). Depressive symptoms were associated with poorer health outcomes in people with neck pain and neck pain with radiculopathy. These findings were from seven low-quality studies, and an additional six studies reported no association. Low-quality evidence reported that distress and anxiety symptoms were associated with poorer health outcomes in people with neck pain and radiculopathy and very low-quality evidence showed this in people with neck pain only. Stress and higher job strain were negatively associated with poorer health outcomes measured by the presence of pain in two studies of very low quality.

conclusionsAcross a small number of highly heterogenous, low quality studies mental health symptoms are negatively associated with health outcomes in people with neck pain with radiculopathy and neck pain without radiculopathy. Clinicians should continue to utilise robust clinical reasoning when assessing the complex factors impacting a person's presentation with neck pain with or without radiculopathy. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42020169497.

Indexed as

Neck PainRadiculopathyAdultAnxietyCervical VertebraeHumansMental HealthAdultCervical spine painCervical spine radiculopathyHealth outcomesMental healthNeck painPsychosocial

Identifiers

PMID36978016
PMCPMC10045438
OpenAlexW4361223554

What OpenQuestion holds

Textfull text, public
LicenceCC BY
measurements read44
reference markers read72
identifiers read1
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.