Chronic pain and the family: the experience of the partners of people living with chronic pain

Caryn West, Kim Usher, Kim Foster and Lee Stewart

Journal of Clinical Nursing, 2012, vol. 21, issue 23-24, 3352-3360

Abstract: Aims and objectives. The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of chronic pain on the partner and family of a person with chronic pain. Background. Chronic pain impacts not only on the individual but also their partner and/or other family members. Families of people with chronic pain have reported feeling powerless, alienated, emotionally distressed, and isolated. These impacts have affected their relationship with the person with chronic pain. Design. An interpretive qualitative design using in‐depth interviews and thematic analysis was undertaken. Methods. Purposive sampling and in‐depth interviewing were undertaken to develop a rich description of the experience. Results. Findings indicate the impact of chronic pain on the family is extensive, resulting in physical, social, and emotional changes. Four themes were revealed: (1) Family loss, (2) Life changes, (3) Emotional impact of pain, and (4) Future plans. Conclusion. This study reinforces and expands current knowledge regarding the impact of chronic pain on partners and families. Understanding this phenomenon opens opportunities for nurses and other health workers to develop and implement strategies to better support partners/families in the future. Relevance to clinical practice. Nurses can help reduce the negative impact of pain by including families in assessment, education, referral and treatment processes, and by offering support and education to partners/families.

Date: 2012
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2702.2012.04215.x

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:wly:jocnur:v:21:y:2012:i:23-24:p:3352-3360

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in Journal of Clinical Nursing from John Wiley & Sons
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Wiley Content Delivery ().