When the Social Foundations of the World are Disrupted: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of Suffering in Pain and Stress Among Individuals Living with Chronic Pain.

BACKGROUND

Chronic pain is a multidimensional experience shaped by biopsychosocial factors. How individuals appraise situations plays a key role in chronic pain and is closely linked to stress and suffering. However, the specific ways in which interactions between pain and stress contribute to suffering remain underexplored.

AIM: This exploratory study examined how pain and stress, as lived experiences, shape suffering in Canadian adults living with chronic pain.

METHODS

The study's approach was Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Six participants with chronic non-cancer pain were interviewed twice using semi-structured interview guides. Initial exploratory interviews were followed by more targeted interviews focused on appraisals and stress. Data were transcribed and analyzed using the steps outlined in IPA.

RESULTS

When asked to reflect on stress, participants often described their experiences in terms of suffering or as a pathway to suffering. Participants described suffering as deeply rooted in disruptions to the social dimensions of their lived experience. Three themes were identified: (1) pain intensity is not enough to explain suffering, the social aspects are essential; (2) pain disrupts the social structure of the world; and (3) there is a tension between social normality and the validation of lived pain experiences.

CONCLUSION

This study contributes to a broader understanding of pain that moves towards an intersubjective conceptualization of pain-related suffering. Recognizing and addressing the social dimensions of pain may better reflect the needs, experiences, and circumstances of people living with chronic pain.