Chronic pain, vulnerability and human spirit while living under the umbrella of COVID-19

Hovey, Richard; Linkiewich, Delane; Brachaniec, Mary

doi:10.35680/2372-0247.1504

Cited by 3 publications

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“…Consequently, as explained by Hovey et al, when everything in one’s life changes due to chronic pain, when nothing is as it used to be, one can feel exhausted, shattered, isolated, and does not know what to do anymore as their social network diminishes; one hides away from the world. Isolation creates an additional layer of pain leading to depression, despondency, feelings of loss, purpose, and personal value ( Hovey et al, 2020 ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Social distancing measures put into place to slow the spread of COVID-19 in Quebec appears to have accentuated the isolation of people living with chronic pain. One living with chronic pain may already experience a deficit in social interaction and this becomes even more profound during a pandemic where there is forced isolation on an existing layer of isolation ( Hovey et al, 2020 ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Our findings suggest that allowing these practitioners to remain operational, even during a pandemic, could be beneficial to people living with chronic pain. Health authorities could emit specific safety and sanitary guidelines, to which para-medical practitioners must adhere to remain in operation ( Hovey et al, 2020 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Chronic pain is described as pain that lasts more than 3 to 6 months; it can arise at any age and may be detrimental in all aspects of one’s life ( Merskey et al, 1994 ). People suffering from chronic pain are often not only limited in their capacity to participate in their day-to-day activities but also report effects on their relationships and suffering from social isolation ( Furnes et al, 2015 ; Hovey et al, 2020 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Experiences of People Living With Chronic Pain During a Pandemic: “Crumbling Dreams With Uncertain Futures”

et al. 2021

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People living with chronic pain experience multiple challenges in their daily activities. Chronic pain is complex and often provokes life circumstances that create increased social isolation. Living with chronic pain during the pandemic may add additional layers of complexity to their daily lives. The researchers endeavored to explore the experiences of people living with chronic pain during the COVID-19 pandemic. Researchers conducted semi-structured, open-ended interviews about how the pandemic influenced participants’ lives. The interviews were recorded and analyzed using an applied philosophical hermeneutics approach. The findings were feeling socially isolated, losing their sense of livinghood, and experiencing augmented stress levels which, in most cases, aggravated their chronic pain. In addition to gaining an in-depth understanding of the needs of people living with chronic pain, these findings may guide policy decisions with the intention of improving health care access and the overall experiences of people living with chronic conditions during a pandemic.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Experiences of People Living With Chronic Pain During a Pandemic: “Crumbling Dreams With Uncertain Futures”

et al. 2021

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“…The pandemic has exacerbated all of these challenges. 40,41 Given the trajectory of chronic pain, it is likely that many individuals will not return to their pre-pandemic pain state once it is over, and rates of chronic pain may increase over time. 5 As suggested in the latest report of the Canadian Pain Task Force, tangible system responses to the COVID-19 pandemic should be implemented to improve the conditions of individuals living with chronic pain.…”

Section: Implications and Recommendationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A cross-sectional study of pain status and psychological distress among individuals living with chronic pain: the Chronic Pain & COVID-19 Pan-Canadian Study

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Dassieu

et al. 2021

Health Promot Chronic Dis Prev Can

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Background The COVID-19 pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on vulnerable populations, including individuals with chronic pain. We examined associations between geographical variations in COVID-19 infection rates, stress and pain severity, and investigated factors associated with changes in pain status and psychological distress among individuals living with chronic pain during the pandemic. Methods This investigation is part of a larger initiative, the Chronic Pain & COVID-19 Pan-Canadian Study, which adopted a cross-sectional observational design. A total of 3159 individuals living with chronic pain completed a quantitative survey between 16 April and 31 May 2020. Results Two-thirds (68.1%) of participants were between 40 and 69 years old, and 83.5% were women. Two-thirds (68.9%) of individuals reported worsened pain since pandemic onset. Higher levels of perceived pandemic-related risks (adjusted odds ratio: 1.27; 95% confidence interval: 1.03–1.56) and stress (1.21; 1.05–1.41), changes in pharmacological (3.17; 2.49–4.05) and physical/psychological (2.04; 1.62–2.58) pain treatments and being employed at the beginning of the pandemic (1.42; 1.09–1.86) were associated with increased likelihood of reporting worsened pain. Job loss (34.9% of individuals were employed pre-pandemic) was associated with lower likelihood (0.67; 0.48–0.94) of reporting worsened pain. Almost half (43.2%) of individuals reported moderate/severe levels of psychological distress. Negative emotions toward the pandemic (2.14; 1.78–2.57) and overall stress (1.43; 1.36–1.50) were associated with moderate/severe psychological distress. Conclusion Study results identified psychosocial factors to consider in addition to biomedical factors in monitoring patients’ status and facilitating treatment access for chronic pain patients during a pandemic.

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Stress and Pain Before, During and After the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Exploratory Longitudinal Mixed Methods Study

et al. 2021

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Aims: This study explores the association between subjective feeling of stress and pain experience in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic with a focus on characteristics known to trigger a physiological stress response [sense of low control, threat to ego, unpredictability and novelty (STUN)].Methods: This exploratory longitudinal convergent mixed methods design consisted of online questionnaires over three time points (before, during and after the 1st wave of the COVID-19 pandemic) (N = 49) and qualitative interviews (N = 27) during the 1st wave of the pandemic on distinct samples of individuals living with chronic pain (CP). Both types of data sources were mixed upon integration using joint display.Results: Mean pain intensity scores remained stable across time points, while pain unpleasantness and pain interference scores significantly improved. Global impression of change scores measured during the first wave of the pandemic do not entirely concord with pain scores evolution. Two thirds of participants reported a global deterioration of their pain condition at the beginning of the pandemic. Stress and pain catastrophizing before the pandemic were associated with pain scores throughout the pandemic; while most specific measures of stress due to the novel, uncontrollable, unpredictable and threatening nature of the pandemic were not. Qualitative data demonstrated that the deterioration reported in pain status reflected additional dimensions, including spatial expansion of the painful area, reduced access to treatments and challenges in adapting pain management strategies.Conclusions: Helping individuals to negotiate stressful aspects of the pandemic might help offset the negative impacts of stress on pain status in this context or other important life events.

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Chronic pain, vulnerability and human spirit while living under the umbrella of COVID-19

Cited by 3 publications

References 0 publications

The Experiences of People Living With Chronic Pain During a Pandemic: “Crumbling Dreams With Uncertain Futures”

The Experiences of People Living With Chronic Pain During a Pandemic: “Crumbling Dreams With Uncertain Futures”

A cross-sectional study of pain status and psychological distress among individuals living with chronic pain: the Chronic Pain & COVID-19 Pan-Canadian Study

Stress and Pain Before, During and After the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Exploratory Longitudinal Mixed Methods Study

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