Pain, Anxiety, Depression, and Quality of Life in Patients with Vulvodynia

Abstract

Background/Aims: The term vulvodynia refers to vulvar pain of unknown origin lasting at least 3 months. Psychiatric comorbidities are a common feature and, along with pain, may severely affect patients’ wellbeing. We aimed to determine the characteristics of pain in vulvodynia, to correlate characteristics with symptoms of anxiety and depression, and to analyse the impact of these factors on patients’ quality of life. Methods: This cross-sectional observational study analysed pain, anxiety, and depression and the effects of these factors on quality of life. Pain, anxiety, and depression were assessed using validated tools in 110 women. Results: Statistical analyses found correlations between pain and anxiety and between anxiety and worsened quality of life. Patients often reported stinging, burning, pain, itching, and dyspareunia, pointing to the importance of temporal, localisation, punctate pressure, thermal, tactile sensitivity, and emotional tension characteristics. Most patients had severe pain related to psychiatric comorbidities and decreased quality of life. Conclusion: Using descriptors of pain quality and assessing anxiety and depression might help to define subgroups of patients that may benefit from different therapeutic approaches and thus enable treatments to be tailored to individual patients.