C-reactive protein is associated with pain-type somatic symptoms independent of mental health symptoms in adolescents: Evidence from the ALSPAC study
Depression and anxiety disorders frequently first present during adolescence, and both conditions are often comorbid with the experience of pain-type somatic symptoms. Moreover, increased concentrations of blood-derived inflammatory markers, such as C-reactive protein (CRP), have been observed in bo...
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Elsevier
2025-10-01
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| Series: | Brain, Behavior, & Immunity - Health |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666354625001401 |
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| author | J. Cooney-Quane D.S. Thomas Y.M. Nolan S. Dockray |
| author_facet | J. Cooney-Quane D.S. Thomas Y.M. Nolan S. Dockray |
| author_sort | J. Cooney-Quane |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Depression and anxiety disorders frequently first present during adolescence, and both conditions are often comorbid with the experience of pain-type somatic symptoms. Moreover, increased concentrations of blood-derived inflammatory markers, such as C-reactive protein (CRP), have been observed in both depression and anxiety. Altered neuroimmune activation may impact on pain signalling pathways in the nervous system, potentially playing a role in the relationship between mental health and pain-type somatic symptoms.This study conducted cross-sectional secondary data analyses of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) dataset, using a sample of 2877 participants at age 18. Baron and Kenny's (1986) mediation framework was used to explore whether CRP acts as a mediator between depression and anxiety scores, and pain-type somatic symptoms. While CRP cannot be said to directly mediate the relationship in this sample, adjusted regression analysis found that CRP was a significant, independent predictor of pain-type somatic symptoms (β = .12, p < .001), independent of anxiety score (β = .20, p < .001), depression score (β = .38, p < .001), and the interaction term anxiety∗depression (β = −.15, p < .001), indicating that CRP may underly pain-type somatic symptoms, independent of mental health symptoms in adolescence.These findings highlight the potential role of inflammatory processes in adolescent pain, and suggest that future research should examine biological factors, including inflammatory markers not typically assessed in clinical settings, that could underly pain symptoms not fully explained by mental health. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-6f8f30fa111e425c949f2d8d08005b71 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2666-3546 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-10-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Brain, Behavior, & Immunity - Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-6f8f30fa111e425c949f2d8d08005b712025-08-20T03:59:37ZengElsevierBrain, Behavior, & Immunity - Health2666-35462025-10-014810108210.1016/j.bbih.2025.101082C-reactive protein is associated with pain-type somatic symptoms independent of mental health symptoms in adolescents: Evidence from the ALSPAC studyJ. Cooney-Quane0D.S. Thomas1Y.M. Nolan2S. Dockray3School of Applied Psychology, Cork Enterprise Centre, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Corresponding author.School of Applied Psychology, Cork Enterprise Centre, University College Cork, Cork, IrelandDepartment of Anatomy and Neuroscience, Western Gateway Building, University College Cork, Cork, IrelandSchool of Applied Psychology, Cork Enterprise Centre, University College Cork, Cork, IrelandDepression and anxiety disorders frequently first present during adolescence, and both conditions are often comorbid with the experience of pain-type somatic symptoms. Moreover, increased concentrations of blood-derived inflammatory markers, such as C-reactive protein (CRP), have been observed in both depression and anxiety. Altered neuroimmune activation may impact on pain signalling pathways in the nervous system, potentially playing a role in the relationship between mental health and pain-type somatic symptoms.This study conducted cross-sectional secondary data analyses of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) dataset, using a sample of 2877 participants at age 18. Baron and Kenny's (1986) mediation framework was used to explore whether CRP acts as a mediator between depression and anxiety scores, and pain-type somatic symptoms. While CRP cannot be said to directly mediate the relationship in this sample, adjusted regression analysis found that CRP was a significant, independent predictor of pain-type somatic symptoms (β = .12, p < .001), independent of anxiety score (β = .20, p < .001), depression score (β = .38, p < .001), and the interaction term anxiety∗depression (β = −.15, p < .001), indicating that CRP may underly pain-type somatic symptoms, independent of mental health symptoms in adolescence.These findings highlight the potential role of inflammatory processes in adolescent pain, and suggest that future research should examine biological factors, including inflammatory markers not typically assessed in clinical settings, that could underly pain symptoms not fully explained by mental health.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666354625001401Systemic inflammationMental healthAnxietyDepressionSomatic pain symptomsAdolescence |
| spellingShingle | J. Cooney-Quane D.S. Thomas Y.M. Nolan S. Dockray C-reactive protein is associated with pain-type somatic symptoms independent of mental health symptoms in adolescents: Evidence from the ALSPAC study Brain, Behavior, & Immunity - Health Systemic inflammation Mental health Anxiety Depression Somatic pain symptoms Adolescence |
| title | C-reactive protein is associated with pain-type somatic symptoms independent of mental health symptoms in adolescents: Evidence from the ALSPAC study |
| title_full | C-reactive protein is associated with pain-type somatic symptoms independent of mental health symptoms in adolescents: Evidence from the ALSPAC study |
| title_fullStr | C-reactive protein is associated with pain-type somatic symptoms independent of mental health symptoms in adolescents: Evidence from the ALSPAC study |
| title_full_unstemmed | C-reactive protein is associated with pain-type somatic symptoms independent of mental health symptoms in adolescents: Evidence from the ALSPAC study |
| title_short | C-reactive protein is associated with pain-type somatic symptoms independent of mental health symptoms in adolescents: Evidence from the ALSPAC study |
| title_sort | c reactive protein is associated with pain type somatic symptoms independent of mental health symptoms in adolescents evidence from the alspac study |
| topic | Systemic inflammation Mental health Anxiety Depression Somatic pain symptoms Adolescence |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666354625001401 |
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