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Macgregor C, Blane DN, Tulle E, Campbell CL, Barber RJ, Hill O-Connor C, Seenan C. An ecosystem of accepting life with chronic pain: A meta-ethnography. Br J Pain 2024; 18:365-381. [PMID: 39092212 PMCID: PMC11289906 DOI: 10.1177/20494637241250271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Chronic pain is a highly prevalent long-term condition, experienced unequally, impacting both the individual living with pain, and wider society. 'Acceptance' of chronic pain is relevant to improved consultations in pain care, and navigating an approach towards evidence-based, long-term management and associated improvements in health. However, the concept proves difficult to measure, and primary qualitative studies of lived experiences show complexity related to our socio-cultural-political worlds, healthcare experiences, and difficulties with language and meaning. We framed acceptance of chronic pain as socially constructed and aimed to conceptualise the lived experiences of acceptance of chronic pain in adults. Methods We conducted a systematic search and screening process, followed by qualitative, interpretive, literature synthesis using Meta-ethnography. We included qualitative studies using chronic pain as the primary condition, where the study included an aim to research the acceptance concept. We conducted each stage of the synthesis with co-researchers of differing disciplinary backgrounds, and with lived experiences of chronic pain. Findings We included 10 qualitative studies from Canada, Sweden, The Netherlands, Ireland, UK, Australia and New Zealand. Our 'lines of argument' include a fluid and continuous journey with fluctuating states of acceptance; language and meaning of acceptance and chronic pain, a challenge to identity in a capitalist, ableist society and the limits to individualism; a caring, supportive and coherent system. The conceptual framework of the meta-ethnography is represented by a rosebush with interconnected branches, holding both roses and thorns, such is the nature of accepting life with chronic pain. Conclusion Our findings broaden conceptualisation of 'acceptance of chronic pain' beyond an individual factor, to a fluid and continuous journey, interconnected with our socio-cultural-political worlds; an ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassandra Macgregor
- School of Health and Life Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, UK
- NHS Lanarkshire, Chronic Pain Service, Coatbridge, UK
| | - David N Blane
- School of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Emmanuelle Tulle
- Department of Social Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, UK
| | - Claire L Campbell
- NHS Fife, Pain Management Service, Queen Margaret Hospital, Dunfermline, UK
| | - Ruth J Barber
- School of Health and Life Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, UK
- NHS Lanarkshire, Chronic Pain Service, Coatbridge, UK
- School of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
- Department of Social Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, UK
- NHS Fife, Pain Management Service, Queen Margaret Hospital, Dunfermline, UK
- School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | | | - Christopher Seenan
- School of Health and Life Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, UK
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Gebhardt AJ, Andermo S, Arman M. Relational vulnerability in motherhood-an existential perspective on pain and exhaustion among women. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1412385. [PMID: 39070591 PMCID: PMC11274901 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1412385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Stress-related ill-health like pain and exhaustion are demanding public health problems in Europe. In Sweden, women are particularly at risk to develop stress-related ill-health during a period in life that coincides with child-rearing years. When entering motherhood, Swedish women's sick leave substantially increases. Yet, motherhood is rarely acknowledged in clinical encounters concerning pain and exhaustion although women suffer from these ailments more often than men. To incorporate motherhood as an existential dimension of health in the care of women living with pain and exhaustion might alleviate women's suffering. But knowledge on women's experiences of motherhood and health is scarce. Therefore, the aim of the study is to reach a deeper understanding of how women suffering from long-lasting pain and exhaustion experience their health in relation to motherhood. Methods Ricoeur's interpretation theory has been applied to analyze 27 phenomenological interviews with 14 mothers suffering from long-lasting pain and exhaustion. Results These women's experiences shed light on how closely motherhood is interwoven with the experience of their health and suffering: The women's suffering seems to be rooted in a relational vulnerability that has been uncovered during motherhood. Further, the women suffer from a burden of difficult life experiences and inner conflicts. Reconciliation with life is possible when women find an existential shelter, which offers ways to relate to their suffering making the own suffering more bearable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anja J. Gebhardt
- Karolinska Institutet, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Susanne Andermo
- Karolinska Institutet, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Huddinge, Sweden
- The Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences, Department of Physical Activity and Health, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Maria Arman
- Karolinska Institutet, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Huddinge, Sweden
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Connoy L, Solomon M, Longo R, Sud A, Katz J, Dale C, Stanley M, Webster F. Attending to Marginalization in The Chronic Pain Literature: A Scoping Review. Can J Pain 2024; 8:2335500. [PMID: 38831969 PMCID: PMC11146439 DOI: 10.1080/24740527.2024.2335500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
Background There has been a recent and, for many within the chronic pain space, long-overdue increase in literature that focuses on equity, diversity, inclusion, and decolonization (EDI-D) to understand chronic pain among people who are historically and structurally marginalized. Aims In light of this growing attention in chronic pain research, we undertook a scoping review of studies that focus on people living with chronic pain and marginalization to map how these studies were carried out, how marginalization was conceptualized and operationalized by researchers, and identify suggestions for moving forward with marginalization and EDI-D in mind to better support people living with chronic pain. Methods We conducted this scoping review using critical analysis in a manner that aligns with dominant scoping review frameworks and recent developments made to scoping review methodology as well as reporting guidelines. Results Drawing on 67 studies, we begin with a descriptive review of the literature followed by a critical review that aims to identify fissures within the field through the following themes: (1) varying considerations of sociopolitical and socioeconomic contexts, (2) conceptual conflations between sex and gender, and (3) differing approaches to how people living with chronic pain and marginalization are described. Conclusion By identifying strengths and limitations in the research literature, we aim to highlight opportunities for researchers to contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of marginalization in chronic pain experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Connoy
- Arthur and Sonia Labatt Family School of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michelle Solomon
- Arthur and Sonia Labatt Family School of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Riana Longo
- Arthur and Sonia Labatt Family School of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Abhimanyu Sud
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Joel Katz
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Craig Dale
- Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Tory Trauma Program, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Meagan Stanley
- Western Libraries, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Fiona Webster
- Arthur and Sonia Labatt Family School of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
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Ethier A, Dubois MF, Savaria V, Carrier A. Tensions experienced by case managers working in home care for older adults in Quebec: first level analysis of an institutional ethnography. BMC Health Serv Res 2024; 24:296. [PMID: 38448879 PMCID: PMC10918893 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-024-10709-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Case managers play a vital role in integrating the necessary services to optimise health-related goals and outcomes. Studies suggest that in home care, case managers encounter tensions in their day-to-day work, that is, disjuncture between what they should do, in theory, and what they actually do, in practice. However, direct exploration of these tensions is lacking. As such, this study aimed to describe the tensions encountered by case managers in public home care for older adults in Quebec and their influence on day-to-day work. METHODS An institutional ethnography was conducted through observations of work, interviews and a survey with case managers working in home care in Quebec. Data were analysed using institutional ethnography first-level analysis procedures. This included mapping the work sequences as well as identifying the tensions experienced by case managers through the words they used. RESULTS Three main tensions were identified. First, case managers perceive that, despite working to return hospitalised older adults at home safely, their work also aims to help free up hospital beds. Thus, they often find themselves needing to respond quickly to hospital-related inquiries or expedite requests for home care services. Second, they are supposed to delegate the care to "partners" (e.g., private organisations). However, they feel that they are in effect managing the quality of the services provided by the "partners." Consequently, they go to great lengths to ensure that good care will be provided. Finally, they must choose between meeting organisational requirements (e.g., reporting statistics about the work, documenting information in the older adults' file, doing mandatory assessments) and spending time providing direct care. This often leads to prioritising direct care provision over administrative tasks, resulting in minimal reporting of essential information. CONCLUSION The results are discussed using the three lenses of professional practice context analyses (i.e., accountability, ethics, and professional-as-worker) to formulate recommendations for practice and research. They suggest that, despite their important role, case managers have limited power in home care (e.g., with partners, with the hospital).
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Ethier
- École de réadaptation, Faculté de médecine et des sciences de la santé , Université de Sherbrooke; Centre de recherche sur le vieillissement, Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux de l'Estrie - Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke, 3001 12e Avenue N, Sherbrooke, QC, J1H 5H3, Canada.
| | - Marie-France Dubois
- Département des sciences de la santé communautaire, Faculté de médecine et sciences de la santé, Université de Sherbrooke; Centre de recherche sur le vieillissement, Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux de l'Estrie - Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke, 3001 12e Avenue N, Sherbrooke, QC, J1H 5H3, Canada
| | - Virginie Savaria
- École de réadaptation, Faculté de médecine et des sciences de la santé , Université de Sherbrooke; Centre de recherche sur le vieillissement, Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux de l'Estrie - Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke, 3001 12e Avenue N, Sherbrooke, QC, J1H 5H3, Canada
| | - Annie Carrier
- École de réadaptation, Faculté de médecine et des sciences de la santé , Université de Sherbrooke; Centre de recherche sur le vieillissement, Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux de l'Estrie - Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke, 3001 12e Avenue N, Sherbrooke, QC, J1H 5H3, Canada
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Connoy L, Webster F. Why Language Matters in Chronic Pain: The Example of Pain Catastrophizing. THE JOURNAL OF PAIN 2024; 25:588-590. [PMID: 38159787 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2023.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Laura Connoy
- Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Fiona Webster
- Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
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Macgregor C, Walumbe J, Tulle E, Seenan C, Blane DN. Intersectionality as a theoretical framework for researching health inequities in chronic pain. Br J Pain 2023; 17:479-490. [PMID: 38107758 PMCID: PMC10722103 DOI: 10.1177/20494637231188583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic pain is experienced unequally by different population groups; we outline examples from the pain literature of inequities related to gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic and migration status. Health inequities are systematic, avoidable and unfair differences in health outcomes between groups of people, with the fundamental 'causes of causes' recognised as unequal distribution of income, power and wealth. Intersectionality can add further theory to health inequities literature; collective social identities including class/socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity, gender, migration status, age, sexuality and disabled status intersect in multiple interconnected systems of power leading to differing experiences of privilege and oppression which can be understood as axes of health inequities. The process of knowledge creation in pain research is shaped by these interconnected systems of power, and may perpetuate inequities in pain care as it is largely based on majority white, middle class, Eurocentric populations. Intersectionality can inform research epistemology (ways of knowing), priorities, methodology and methods. We give examples from the literature where intersectionality has informed a justice oriented approach across different research methods and we offer suggestions for further development. The use of a reductionist frame can force unachievable objectivity on to complex health concepts, and we note increasing realisation in the field of the need to understand the individuals within their social world, and recognise the fluid and contextual nature of this.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassandra Macgregor
- School of Health and Life Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, UK
- NHS Lanarkshire Chronic Pain Service, Buchanan Centre, Coatbridge, UK
| | - Jackie Walumbe
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Emmanuelle Tulle
- Department of Social Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, UK
| | - Christopher Seenan
- School of Health and Life Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, UK
| | - David N Blane
- School of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
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McNeilage AG, Ashton-James CE, Scholz B. "We were all looking for the magic pill": A qualitative study of patient experiences using gabapentinoids for chronic pain. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2023; 119:104112. [PMID: 37453375 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2023.104112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Gabapentinoid medications are increasingly being used in chronic pain management, yet very little is known about the experiences of those using them. The aim of this study was to address this gap in the literature by qualitatively exploring the lived experiences of patients using gabapentinoids for chronic pain. METHODS Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 adults prescribed a gabapentinoid medication - either pregabalin or gabapentin - for chronic pain in Australia. Interviews were conducted in May 2022 via telephone or online video chat. Audio recordings of the interviews were transcribed verbatim, and data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. The Medication Adherence Model was used as a framework for synthesising the data and organising themes. RESULTS For participants in this study, the initial decision to use gabapentinoids for chronic pain was driven by a level of desperation for pain relief, a perceived lack of pain management alternatives, and a belief that the medication was safer and easier to access than opioids. However, once using gabapentinoids, experiences varied considerably with some viewing the medication as effective and safe, and others viewing it as useless or harmful. Some participants expressed concern that they were not adequately informed by their prescribers about the risks of gabapentinoid use. CONCLUSION These findings emphasise the importance of patient-provider communication and taking a patient-centred approach to gabapentinoid prescribing and de-prescribing. Future qualitative research in this area should involve primary care providers to gain a better understanding of factors driving increased gabapentinoid prescribing in chronic pain management as well as barriers to patient education.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy G McNeilage
- School of Medicine and Psychology, College of Health and Medicine, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia; Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
| | - Claire E Ashton-James
- Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
| | - Brett Scholz
- School of Medicine and Psychology, College of Health and Medicine, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
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Booker SQ, Baker TA, Esiaka D, Minahan JA, Engel IJ, Banerjee K, Poitevien M. A historical review of pain disparities research: Advancing toward health equity and empowerment. Nurs Outlook 2023; 71:101965. [PMID: 37023670 PMCID: PMC11198876 DOI: 10.1016/j.outlook.2023.101965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/05/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE This theory-guided review draws on 30 years of published data to examine and interrogate the current and future state of pain disparities research. METHODS Using the Hierarchy of Health Disparity Research framework, we synthesize and present an overview of "three generations" of pain disparities scholarship, while proposing directions for adopting a "fourth generation" that redefines, explains, and theorizes future pain disparities research in a diverse society. DISCUSSION Prior research has focused on describing the scope of disparities, and throughout the historical context of human existence, racialized groups have been subjected to inadequate pain care. It is imperative that research not only illuminates existing problems but also provides solutions that can be implemented and sustained across varying social milieus. CONCLUSION We must invest in new theoretical models that expand on current perspectives and ideals that position all individuals at the forefront of justice and equity in their health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Staja Q Booker
- College of Nursing, The University of Florida, Gainesville, FL.
| | - Tamara A Baker
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Darlingtina Esiaka
- Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ
| | | | - Ilana J Engel
- Department of Psychology, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS
| | - Kasturi Banerjee
- Department of Psychology, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS
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