OBJECTIVE: Pain is associated with an important comorbidity, related with sleep problems and mood disorders. This study was aimed to describe the health status of patients according to pain severity and symptom descriptors among patients with neuropathic (NeP) or nociceptive pain (NoP). METHODS: We surveyed 135 patients with pain (85 NeP and 50 NoP) of broad origin attending three Pain Units. Patients completed the Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ). Health status (utility) was determined by means of the Health Utility Index Mark 3 (HUI 3, Spanish version). Present Pain Intensity item (PPI) of SF-MPQ was used to classified pain severity as mild, discomforting, distressing, horrible and excruciating, and the 15 items of questionnaire to describe descriptors of pain. A descriptor was considered absent in case of a score of 0, and present if scoring ranged from 1 to 4. Analysis of covariance models and multivariate regression were used. RESULTS: Mean (+sem) age was 62.6+1.3 years (range: 22-88) and 58% were female. Eighty-seven percent were prescribed pain medications. Most reported mild (22%), discomforting (36%) or distressing (24%) pain, with 11% scoring the pain as horrible and 6% excruciating. Male and NoP patients were associated with poorer adjusted HUI 3 scores: 0.41+0.04 (F=4.22, p=0.042) and 0.37+0.04(F=9.75, p=0.002), respectively. Adjusted HUI 3 scores were statistically associated with poorer PPI scoring: 0.66+0.05, 0.53+0.04, 0.30+0.05, 0.20+0.09 and 0.39+0.15, respectively (F=8.33; p<0.001).Tiring-exhausting and punishing-cruel (affective symptoms) were both associated with lower HUI 3 scores: ß-coefficients; -0.149 (p=0.010) and -0.171 (p=0.005), respectively. Health status was no associated with sensory symptoms descriptors. CONCLUSIONS: Present pain intensity and presence of affective symptoms were both associated with a poorer health status; the more severe the pain the more impaired the health status, and was independent of age. Male and Nociceptive Pain patients showed worst health status.