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. 2017 Jul 6;1(1):14-21.
doi: 10.1080/24740527.2017.1316173. eCollection 2017.

The suffering of chronic pain patients on a wait list: Are they amenable to narrative therapy?

Eloise C J Carr  1 , Graham McCaffrey  1 , Mia Maris Ortiz  1
Affiliations

The suffering of chronic pain patients on a wait list: Are they amenable to narrative therapy?

Eloise C J Carr et al. Can J Pain. .

Abstract
in English, French

Background: Chronic pain affects one in five Canadians. People with chronic pain frequently experience loss in their lives related to work, relationships, and their independence. They may be referred to a chronic pain program, which aims to strengthen coping through medical intervention and self-management skills. Data suggest that, even when individuals begin their pain program, many feel overwhelmed and do not continue. Aims: The aim of this study was to conduct a needs assessment to explore the acceptability and feasibility of developing a psychosocial intervention, narrative therapy (NT), to address loss for chronic pain patients on the wait list of a chronic pain program. Methods: Two focus groups were conducted with ten patients who had experienced being on a wait list for a provincial chronic pain management program (CPMP). Transcribed interviews were subjected to thematic and interpretive analysis. Results: Two major themes emerged from the analysis: loss of identity and sharing a story of chronic pain. All patients were enthusiastic toward an NT intervention, although individual preferences differed regarding mode of delivery. Conclusions: Loss is a significant part of the chronic pain experience. NT seems to be an acceptable intervention to address loss for patients on the wait list for a chronic pain program.

Contexte: La douleur chronique affecte un Canadien sur cinq. Les personnes qui souffrent de douleur chronique vivent souvent des pertes associées à leur travail, leurs relations et leur indépendance. Elles peuvent être référées à un programme de douleur chronique visant à renforcer leurs mécanismes d’adaptation par le biais d’une intervention médicale et d’habiletés d’autogestion. Les données suggèrent que même lorsqu’un individu commence un programme de gestion de la douleur, nombreux sont ceux qui se sentent accablés et qui l’abandonnent.Objectifs: L’objetif de cette étude était d’évaluer les besoins afin d’explorer l’acceptabilité et la faisabilité d’une intervention psychosociale, la thérapie narrative, abordant la thématique des pertes chez les patients souffrant de douleur chronique inscrits sur la liste d’attente d’un programme de douleur chronique.Méthodes: Deux groupes de discussion réunissant 10 patients qui avaient été inscrits sur la liste d’attente d’un programme provincial de gestion de la douleur chronique ont été menés. Les entrevues transcrites ont été soumises à une analyse thématique et interprétative.Résultats: L’analyse a permis de dégager deux thèmes principaux: la perte d’identité et partager une histoire commune de douleur chronique. La thérapie narrative a suscité l’enthousiasme de tous les participants, bien que leurs préférences différaient en ce qui concerne les modalités de mise en œuvre de l’intervention.Conclusions: Les pertes sont un aspect important de l’expérience de la douleur chronique. Pour les patients inscrits sur la liste d’attente d’un programme de douleur chronique, la thérapie narrative semble être une intervention acceptable pour aborder cette question.

Keywords: chronic pain; narrative therapy; pain management.

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