ORCID

Abstract

This study explored the lived experiences of individuals from socioeconomically disadvantaged communities living with chronic pain and prescribed pain-relief medication. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, eight participants were recruited from a single primary care network in England. Two Group Experiential Themes were developed. This paper reports one: From Dismissed to Disengaged: the trauma of seeking help, with three sub-themes: (1) “Being fobbed off” – dismissal across healthcare and benefit systems; (2) “It just seemed horrible to me, to take it off me” – pain relief as withdrawn, stigmatised, or conditional; and (3) “Do I want to poke the bear?” – disengagement from services. Participants described being dismissed, losing access to medication without prior discussion, and avoiding services out of fear or futility. While most reported systemic invalidation, some described collaborative support. Findings highlight the need for trauma-informed, person-centred care that recognises the role of power and inequality in shaping chronic pain.

Publication Date

2026-04-06

Publication Title

Journal of Health Psychology

ISSN

1359-1053

Deposit Date

2026-06-10

Funding

The authors disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: Stuart Spicer and Charley Hobson-Merrett were supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research Applied Research Collaboration South West Peninsula (NIHR PenARC). The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NIHR.

Keywords

clinical health psychology, experience, health care systems, inequalities, interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), pain, phenomenology, poverty, psychological distress, socioeconomic status

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

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