Chronic neck pain often results in a psychological impact that can affect daily life. A new study involving 80 patients with chronic neck pain investigated the prevalence of anxiety and depression in patients with neck pain as well as associated risk factors and found that 68.4 % suffered from anxiety and 55.7% patients were depressed. Furthermore, disability and cervicobrachial neuralgia (neck pain radiating into the arm) associated with chronic neck pain predicted which patients had at higher risk of psychological distress.

The Pan-African Medical Journal, May 2016