Researchers agreed that physical pain and depression are afflicted to threaten the well-being of millions around the world. Nevertheless, whether there was a causal inference between these two symptoms remains unclear. A comprehensive understanding of the relationship between pain and depression is helpful to provide more effective treatment for patients suffering from both symptoms. The formulation of the best treatment should start with the main symptom if the causal inference of pain and depression could be proved.

Furthermore, some researchers recently pointed out that depression in patients with chronic pain might be induced by the administration of pain killers, namely opioids. This finding seems to indicate a possible mediating effect of opioids on pain as a predictor of depression. Yet, opioids therapy is a common treatment of chronic pain. A strong rein should be made based on a clear understanding of the negative consequence of Chronic Opioid Therapy and the possible alternative non-opioid treatments for these patients. However, more converging evidence is needed before making a conclusion.

Therefore, researchers of the current Research Topic project are with double missions while conducting and sharing their findings on the current platform: studying the relationship between pain and depression, and providing evidence that is helpful to reduce opioids prescription. We call for articles presenting most up to date research findings that could clarify the relationship between pain and depression. We welcome manuscripts that cover, but are not restricted to, the following points:
- A review of the relationship between pain and depression;
- The comorbidity of pain and depression in the setting of genotypes, animal models, clinical patients, or pharmaceutical medicine;
- The correlation of self-report of pain and self-report of depression, evaluation of pain and evaluation of depression (behavioral studies), or processing of pain and processing of depression (brain imaging studies), in both general and clinical populations;
- Evidence suggesting the causal inference between pain and depression (e.g., case reports);
- Clinical studies comparing Chronic Opioid Therapy and alternative non-opioid treatments
- A methodology-based proposal for elevating both pain and depression in patients
- Pain assessment in depressed patients with comorbid neurological disorders and depression assessment in patients with neuralgia (including methodology studies)
- Neuropsychological factors associated with:
a) pain analgesia, hyperalgesia, or allodynia in depressed patients with comorbid neurological disorders;
b) experiencing depression in patients with neuralgia;
c) differences in pain perception, pain processing and pain evaluation between normal subjects and depressed patients with comorbid neurological disorders;
d) differences in experiencing depression between normal subjects and patients with neuralgia

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Frontiers in Psychology

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