Mental health and psychological consequences of chronic low back pain in a group of Iranian labors

The present study examines the mental health of labors diagnosed with CLBP in one of the Iranian industrial factory as one of the top ranked factories in the Middle-East. In all, 45 people with CLBP and 72 controls were entered into the study. The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) and a pain questionnaire were administered to assess mental health and pain intensity. Findings showed a significant difference between the two groups; the overall level of mental health in CLBPP was significantly lower than the control group. However, no significant difference was shown in the Social Dysfunctional (SD) subscale, CLBP patients showed a noticeable difference in the rest subscales. Patients with more sick leave, showed more anxiety, depression and social dysfunction. In addition, there were significant difference in the sleep disorder, fatigue and job satisfaction between CLBP patients and control group but no significant difference was shown in the smoking. According to our hypothesis, CLP impressed mental health in more aspects; anxiety and depression as two important factors for disability are related to sick leave and job satisfaction. Main results of the present study are congruent with the previous researches in this field.