Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40852400›Full record

ArticlePain reports2025

Are depression, anxiety, and fear-avoidance predictors of outcomes after digital care for chronic musculoskeletal pain?

Dora Janela, Xin Tong, Anabela C Areias, Diogo Pires, Fabíola Costa, Hélder Fonseca

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Pain reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Observational
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Dora JanelaSword Health, Inc, Draper, UT, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8440-2044
Xin TongDepartment of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3050-1554
Anabela C AreiasSword Health, Inc, Draper, UT, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1807-7386
Diogo PiresInstituto Politécnico de Setúbal, Escola Superior de Saúde, Setúbal, Portugal.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5980-2441
Fabíola CostaSword Health, Inc, Draper, UT, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8981-7049
Hélder FonsecaFaculty of Sport, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9002-8976

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Despite compelling evidence identifying psychological predictive factors in in-person rehabilitation, their validity in remote digital care settings remains unknown. Objective: To assess whether fear-avoidance beliefs, depression, and anxiety predict pain outcomes after a digital care program (DCP) for chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP). Methods: This ad hoc analysis of a decentralized interventional investigation included patients with CMP who underwent a DCP integrating exercise, education, and behavioral change. Pain outcomes were assessed using 4 measures: last pain score, relative pain change, achievement of postintervention mild pain, and pain response (≥30% change or last pain score ≤3). Predictors included baseline scores of Fear-avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire related to Physical Activity, Patient Health 9-item Questionnaire, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale. Structural equation models evaluated their predictive value on pain outcomes, with or without including potential demographic and clinical confounders. Results: Fear-avoidance beliefs and depression symptoms were consistent predictors across all pain outcomes after confounders adjustment. Worse outcomes were associated with higher baseline fear-avoidance beliefs (eg, last pain score: β = 0.15, SE 0.04, Conclusions: Fear-avoidance beliefs and depression consistently predicted pain outcomes, reinforcing their critical role in digital rehabilitation for CMP. Multimodal, tailored approaches targeting these factors may optimize recovery in remote care.

Indexed as

eHealthPainPhysical therapyPrognosisPsychologicalTelerehabilitation

Identifiers

PMID40852400
PMCPMC12369798

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.