How chronic pain changes a person’s life story in relation to participation in occupational roles: A narrative exploration

Abstract

Background

Chronic pain (CP) affects a large part of the population worldwide, decreasing physical and mental health and causing a shift in occupational roles. This has created a need for a better understanding to address this problem.

Objectives

To explore possible changes in occupational roles and the participation levels within among people diagnosed with CP over time.

Material and methods

The study used a qualitative, narrative methodology. Five people with CP were included in the study. They participated in a single-life story interview coupled with timeline drawings. Data analysis was conducted using a narrative analysis.

Results

The results revealed that occupational roles and the participation therein changed over time. Employee was considered the most important role, whereby the participants tried to maintain this role by sacrificing other roles within their lives. Moreover, CMP forced a change in their occupational identity.

Conclusion

CP can disrupt a person’s life and demand a change in occupational roles and the participation levels within. This process was accompanied by possible changes in their occupational identity.

Keywords:

• Pain
• occupational identity
• occupational roles
• occupational therapy
• participation

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to sincerely thank all of the participants of this study who shared their life stories. I would also like to express my gratitude to the European Master of Science in Occupational Therapy program for their ongoing support and inspiration for this master thesis and in the publication process (first author). And finally, to Allison Scarlotta for lecturing this article.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).