Women's experiences of living with chronic pain: A qualitative meta-synthesis

IF 2.5 2区心理学 Q1 PSYCHOLOGY, CLINICAL

British Journal of Health Psychology Pub Date : 2025-09-22 DOI:10.1111/bjhp.70023

Sukhvinder Biring, Amy E. Burton, Lynn Dunwoody, Peter Kevern

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Objectives

The prevalence of chronic pain varies between males and females, and they also have distinct pain experiences. Improved understanding of these unique experiences is needed to improve support.

Design

This meta-synthesis aimed to develop a comprehensive understanding of women's lived experiences with chronic pain.

Methods

Six electronic databases were searched in May and June 2022: PubMed Central, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL Plus), the Health Research Premium Collection, ScienceDirect, Web of Science and PsycINFO. Studies were included if they were full-text journal articles, reported in English, presented qualitative findings obtained using qualitative research methods and focused on the experience of females over eighteen years old, living with chronic pain (not associated with cancer or conditions that are terminal). The search was updated in November 2024.

Results

Analysis of the seventy studies retrieved identified four themes: Pain and Multiple Responsibilities; Countless Losses (and Their Psychological Effects); Lack of Understanding: Delegitimizing and Disempowering Encounters; and Solace and Self-Empowerment. Confidence in all four themes was evaluated as high.

Conclusions

These findings indicate that there are common themes that run through the lives of women living with chronic pain across a range of different age groups, locations and conditions. These domains present actionable opportunities to enhance pain management and well-being for women living with chronic pain.

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女性慢性疼痛的生活经验：定性综合

目的慢性疼痛的患病率在男性和女性之间存在差异，并且他们也有不同的疼痛经历。需要更好地了解这些独特的经历，以改善支持。设计本综合研究旨在全面了解女性慢性疼痛的生活经历。方法于2022年5 - 6月检索PubMed Central、护理与相关健康文献累积索引（CINAHL Plus）、Health Research Premium Collection、ScienceDirect、Web of Science和PsycINFO 6个电子数据库。如果研究是全文期刊文章，以英文报告，采用定性研究方法获得定性研究结果，并关注18岁以上患有慢性疼痛（与癌症或晚期疾病无关）的女性的经历，则纳入研究。该搜索于2024年11月更新。结果：对检索到的70项研究进行分析，确定了四个主题：疼痛和多重责任；无数的损失（及其心理影响）；缺乏理解：使遭遇失去合法性和权力；安慰和自我赋权。对所有四个主题的信心评价为高。这些发现表明，在不同年龄组、不同地点和不同条件下，患有慢性疼痛的女性的生活中存在着共同的主题。这些领域提供了可行的机会来加强慢性疼痛妇女的疼痛管理和福祉。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

British Journal of Health Psychology PSYCHOLOGY, CLINICAL-

CiteScore

14.10

自引率

1.30%

发文量

期刊介绍： The focus of the British Journal of Health Psychology is to publish original research on various aspects of psychology that are related to health, health-related behavior, and illness throughout a person's life. The journal specifically seeks articles that are based on health psychology theory or discuss theoretical matters within the field.