Background & Aims
Individuals living in homelessness, already subjected to social invisibility and significant vulnerability, face a myriad of substantial obstacles on a daily basis. These challenges include high rates of chronic pain, a greater propensity for depression, and disturbances in sleep patterns. Despite these critical issues, research on this vulnerable group remains scarce, with few studies addressing these problems on a global scale. Thus, the present study aimed to determine the prevalence of chronic pain in the homeless population, identify the presence of depressive symptoms and sleep quality, and examine their relationships with pain. Additionally, the study analyzed the association between psychoactive substances and the presence of pain, identifying possible correlations.
Methods
This is a cross-sectional study that utilized a non-probabilistic sample of individuals experiencing homelessness in the city of São Luís/Brazil for at least one year, aged 18 and above, and without any cognitive deficits. Data were collected through interviews using sociodemographic questionnaires and the following scales: a) Visual Analog Scale (VAS) to measure pain intensity; b) Beck Scale version I to assess depression; c) Douleur Neuropathic 4 (DN4) questionnaire to identify chronic pain with neuropathic characteristics; and d) Mini-Sleep questionnaire used for screening sleep disorders.
Results
A contingent of 603 homeless individuals was included, with 90.4% being male, and an average age of 39.21 years. Of all interviewed individuals, 49.1% reported experiencing some type of pain, 42.1% were living with chronic pain, and 62.8% had pain with neuropathic characteristics. The data indicated a positive correlation between pain intensity (VAS) and other scores (DN4, Beck Scale, and Mini-Sleep), suggesting that as pain increases, there is a corresponding increase in neuropathic pain severity, the prevalence of depressive symptoms, and the deterioration of sleep quality. A statistically significant association was also identified between marijuana and alcohol consumption with depression (p<0.05), and alcohol consumption with sleep quality deterioration (p<0.001).
Conclusions
It can be concluded that the homeless population has a high prevalence of chronic pain, notably with neuropathic characteristics, along with an alarming rate of depression and impaired sleep quality, indicating a severe difficulty in sleeping. The intensity of pain is correlated with the presence of neuropathic characteristics, the development of depression, and the deterioration of sleep quality. Furthermore, depression has a statistically significant association with marijuana consumption and alcoholism, while sleep patterns are specifically influenced by alcohol consumption.
References
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Presenting Author
João Batista Santos Garcia
Poster Authors
Natália Tavares BRAGA
post graduate
Federal Univesity of Maranhão
Lead Author
Lucas Soares BRITO
University Federal of Maranhão
Lead Author
Ana Carolina Silva ROCHA
University Federal of Maranhão
Lead Author
Mikaele Nala Costa dos SANTOS
University Federal of Maranhão
Lead Author
Joao Batista Garcia
Federal University of Maranhao
Lead Author
Topics
- Lifestyle Issues: Sleep/Diet/Exercise/Social Interactions