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Existential pain--an entity, a provocation, or a challenge?
Peter Strang1, Susan Strang, Ragnar Hultborn
1Department of Oncology and Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, SSH, Mariebergsg 22, 112-35 Stockholm, Sweden.
Journal of Pain and Symptom Management
|March 11, 2004
Summary
Existential pain is often a metaphor for suffering unrelated to physical pain. However, it can manifest physically, influencing or causing pain, particularly in palliative and chronic care settings.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Palliative Care
- Pain Medicine
Background:
- The concept of "existential pain" is frequently used but lacks a clear, universally accepted definition.
- Understanding how different medical and spiritual professionals perceive existential pain is crucial for comprehensive patient care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To define the concept of existential pain from the perspectives of hospital chaplains, palliative care physicians, and pain specialists.
- To explore the nuances and variations in how these distinct professional groups conceptualize existential suffering.
Main Methods:
- A combined qualitative and quantitative content analysis was performed on responses from 173 hospital chaplains, 115 palliative care physicians, and 113 pain specialists.
- Participants were asked to define "existential pain."
Main Results:
- Existential pain was commonly described as suffering disconnected from physical pain.
- Chaplains emphasized guilt and religious concerns, while palliative physicians focused on annihilation and separation.
- Pain specialists frequently linked existential pain to the inherent suffering of life, with 32% noting its potential physical manifestation.
Conclusions:
- Existential pain is predominantly viewed as a metaphorical representation of suffering.
- It is recognized as a clinically significant factor that can exacerbate or initiate physical pain, aligning with definitions of pain disorder or somatization disorder.