The Rise in American Pain: The Importance of the Great Recession

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Sociology
• Economics

Background:

• A growing body of literature indicates a trend of increasing pain in the American population over recent decades.
• Existing explanations for this trend lack consensus and fail to provide a comprehensive understanding.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the temporal patterns of pain increase in Americans.
• To identify specific demographic groups and life stages most affected by the rise in pain.
• To explore potential explanations for the observed trends in pain.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of trends in pain prevalence over several decades.
• Examination of the timing of pain increases relative to the Great Recession (2007-2010).
• Stratification of analysis by education level and age cohorts.

Main Results:

• The increase in pain was not a smooth trend but was concentrated almost entirely between 2007-2010, coinciding with the Great Recession.
• Less educated individuals experienced a disproportionate increase in pain primarily during the Recession period.
• The pain increase occurred at older ages and specifically when cohorts experienced the Recession, with unclear links to temporary employment declines.

Conclusions:

• The significant rise in pain among Americans is strongly linked to the Great Recession period.
• The precise mechanisms driving the permanent increase in pain following the Recession, especially among specific demographics, remain unexplained.
• Further research is warranted to elucidate the causes of this pain increase, considering factors like family structure and biopsychosocial channels.