Psychiatry and chronic pain: Examining the interface and designing a structure for a patient-center approach to treatment

Chronic pain disorders require comprehensive care. While interdisciplinary approaches are recommended, the role of the psychiatrist is often misunderstood. Psychiatrists should be involved with the care of patients with chronic pain as early as possible to maximize response to treatment and improvements in quality of life. Psychiatrists offer an expertise that specifically addresses important deficiencies in the care of patients with chronic pain: (1) the lack of a detailed formulation, (2) the lumping of all psychopathology, and (3) the failure to effectively utilize a rehabilitation model of treatment.