Related Experiment Videos
Is chronic widespread pain biographically disruptive?
Jane C Richardson1, Bie Nio Ong, Julius Sim
1Keele University, Keele, Staffs ST5 5BG, UK. j.c.richardson@keele.ac.uk
Social Science & Medicine (1982)
|May 16, 2006
Summary
Chronic widespread pain significantly disrupts lives, impacting identity and requiring individuals to find new meaning. Understanding this pain
Area of Science:
- Sociology of Health and Illness
- Chronic Pain Research
- Biographical Studies
Background:
- Chronic widespread pain affects individuals aged 40-60.
- Families of sufferers are also impacted.
- Previous research has not fully explored the biographical impact of chronic pain.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the lived experience of chronic widespread pain within the context of individuals' lives.
- To examine how sufferers make sense of their pain's onset and progression.
- To understand how identity is reconstructed following life disruptions caused by chronic pain.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative study involving eight participants with chronic widespread pain.
- In-depth interviews utilizing lifegrids and participant diaries.
- Biographical analysis of participants' accounts.
Main Results:
- Chronic widespread pain is experienced as biographically disruptive.
- Participants actively construct meaning around their pain and its development.
- Identity reconstruction is a key process for individuals living with chronic pain.
Conclusions:
- The experience of chronic widespread pain necessitates a re-evaluation of personal identity.
- Biographical disruption due to chronic pain is influenced by lifestage and perceived life expectancy.
- Future research should consider these contextual factors in understanding chronic pain's impact.