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Published on: July 7, 2023
Constructing the experience of chronic pain through discourse
Katie Robinson1, Norelee Kennedy, Dominic Harmon
1Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland. katie.robinson@ul.ie
Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy
|September 29, 2012
Summary
People with chronic pain use moral and personal tragedy discourses to assert their experiences. They actively resist biomedical models, challenging medical authority and passive patient roles.
Area of Science:
- Social Psychology
- Medical Sociology
- Discourse Analysis
Background:
- Chronic pain significantly impacts individuals' lives, influencing their social interactions and self-perception.
- Understanding the language used by individuals with chronic pain is crucial for effective healthcare and support.
- Existing research often overlooks the nuanced ways patients articulate their experiences beyond purely clinical terms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the specific discourses employed by individuals experiencing chronic pain.
- To analyze how these discourses shape self-identity and interactions with healthcare systems.
- To identify strategies used by patients to resist dominant biomedical narratives.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative research design utilizing semi-structured interviews.
- Foucauldian discourse analysis applied to interview transcripts from five Irish participants with chronic pain.
- Thematic identification and analysis of dominant and resistant discourses.
Main Results:
- Three primary discourses were identified: moral, pain as personal tragedy, and biomedical.
- A moral discourse framed participants as responsible individuals managing pain and social roles.
- Participants actively rejected the biomedical discourse, offering alternative explanations and challenging medical authority.
Conclusions:
- Individuals with chronic pain actively construct their identities and experiences through distinct discourses.
- Resistance to the biomedical model highlights patient agency and a desire to move beyond passive patient roles.
- Findings suggest a need for healthcare providers to acknowledge and engage with patients' self-generated discourses for improved care.
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