Chronic widespread pain has been described as a major health problem in the Western world, but we know little about the experiences of people who live with this condition. The broad questions explored in this thesis are how people with chronic widespread pain experience, understand and give meaning to their 'condition', and how people with chronic widespread pain attempt to influence or exert control over their pain. The methods employed are located within a qualitative approach, using a 'psychosocial' perspective to explore individuals' experiences in a social context, and an interpretative perspective, to focus on the meanings and interpretations of participants. It also draws on a narrative approach, using the stories told by participants to illustrate the experience of chronic widespread pain in their everyday lives. Data was generated through lifegrid interviews, follow-up interviews, unstructured diaries and diary interviews with eight people with chronic widespread pain. In addition, five family members were interviewed. Findings focus on the experience of living with chronic widespread pain in the different realms in which pain arises, is experienced and managed, namely bodily, social, household, family and biographical. In exploring these areas, a number of themes recur which characterise the experience of living with chronic widespread pain. These themes include uncertainty, which manifests itself on a day-to-day basis and in the longer term; tensions arising in managing chronic widespread pain; the impact of experiencing and managing chronic widespread pain control on self and identity; and the effect of the invisible and contested nature of chronic widespread pain on sufferers' experiences.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:417847 |
| Date | January 2005 |
| Creators | Richardson, Jane Crompton |
| Publisher | Keele University |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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