Pain in Seriously Mental Ill Populations

This chapter focuses on pain among individuals with serious mental illness (SMI), specifically among those with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and treatment-resistant depression. For each of these conditions, the chapter provides a review of the state of the science as it pertains to (1) the epidemiology of the condition, (2) the prevalence of pain among those with the condition, and (3) risk factors and sequelae of pain for those with the condition. The chapter also discusses the consequences of undiagnosed/undertreated pain in populations with SMI as well as the barriers to and opportunities to improve pain identification and pain management in populations with SMI. Gaps in the current scientific literature and areas for future research are identified.