Psychiatric Aspects of Pain Management in Palliative Care

Pain is one of the most prevalent and impairing symptoms in the realm of palliative care. Although opioids remain at the center of most pain management strategies, it is critical to employ adjuvant analgesics effectively and to understand the impact of psychosocial variables on a person’s overall pain experience. Many psychotropics can be employed as analgesics and also leveraged for secondary benefits to sleep, nausea, appetite, depression, anxiety, and fatigue. A number of promising nonpharmacologic approaches to pain also exist. Practitioners with a clear picture of physiologic and psychosocial components of the pain experience will be able to optimally manage pain and help their patients enjoy the best possible quality of life.