A qualitative study among women immigrants from Somalia – experiences from primary health care multimodal pain rehabilitation in Sweden

Abstract

Background: Immigrants often experience difficulties with acculturation and post migratory stress after arrival in a host country and studies report poor health, chronic pain and depression. This is a challenge for primary health care and interventions need to be evaluated.

Objectives: To explore the experiences of a group of women from Somalia who took part in a multimodal pain rehabilitation programme in primary healthcare in Northern Sweden.

Methods: Seven individual interviews a few months after participation, and a focus group discussion one year after the programme were conducted and analysed with Grounded theory.

Results: A core category regained life emerged from the data. This was described as a process in two categories: panic and connection. The participants experienced that the programme was helpful and that the pain was reduced. They became more open-minded; got new ideas and knowledge; were helped to improve their societal adaptation and integration; experienced that they were not alone; and learned that there is benefits when a group of people share experiences and feelings.

Conclusions: Multimodal pain rehabilitation can be helpful for women immigrants from Somalia. The programme triggered positive changes in their lives and they received knowledge about how to manage pain and improved their self-confidence and health.

Keywords:

• Primary healthcare
• group treatment
• team treatment
• chronic pain
• musculoskeletal pain

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the participants for sharing their stories. Thanks to Marta Ramos (MR) who assisted with the triangulation and analysis.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no declarations of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work is supported by the Swedish Social Insurance Agency, REHSAM.