Rotator cuff tears are one of the most common musculoskeletal disorders in the United States affecting about 17 million people, with 4.5 million physician visits per year in the United States. Rotator cuff repair comes along with high cost, lengthy rehabilitation times, and functional limitations. All these factors make patients with a rotator cuff tear more prone to psychological distress. Major depressive disorder is greater in individuals with musculoskeletal disorders. However, standard protocol for rotator cuff tears does not incorporate psychological interventions. Mindfulness–based interventions have been linked to improved pain management, emotional, social, and physical function. The purpose of this literature review was to describe the underlying mechanisms of how an individual experiencing a rotator cuff disorder is more likely to also experience depressive symptoms, and to determine how mindfulness can aid these depressive symptoms, and why it may be beneficial if incorporated into usual care.
