Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35940885›Full record

ArticleThe British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners2022

Supporting people with pain-related distress in primary care consultations: a qualitative study.

Noureen A Shivji, Adam Wa Geraghty, Hollie Birkinshaw, Tamar Pincus, Helen Johnson, Paul Little, Michael Moore, Beth Stuart, Carolyn A Chew-Graham

Open access · hybridAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
1.4field-weighted citation impact, top 21% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 9 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Reflections on the use of qualitative research methods: it's not 'fluffy'.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2025
    Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Accessing care for Long Covid from the perspectives of patients and healthcare practitioners: A qualitative study.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2024
    Article
  8. Understanding chronic pain in the ubiquitous community: the role of open data.Frontiers in pain research (Lausanne, Switzerland) · 2023
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Noureen A ShivjiSchool of Medicine, Keele University, Keele.
Adam Wa GeraghtyPrimary Care Research Centre, University of Southampton, Southampton.
Hollie BirkinshawDepartment of Psychology, University of London, London.
Tamar PincusDepartment of Psychology, University of London, London.
Helen JohnsonSchool of Medicine, Keele University, Keele.
Paul LittlePrimary Care Research Centre, University of Southampton, Southampton.
Michael MoorePrimary Care Research Centre, University of Southampton, Southampton.
Beth StuartPrimary Care Research Centre, University of Southampton, Southampton.
Carolyn A Chew-GrahamSchool of Medicine, Keele University, Keele; honorary professor of primary care mental health, Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, St George's Hospital, Stafford.
Keele University · GB

Funding

Versus Arthritis 22454
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundLow mood and distress are commonly reported by people who have persistent musculoskeletal (MSK) pain, which may be labelled as 'depression'. It is important to understand how pain-related distress is conceptualised and managed in primary care consultations.

aimTo explore understanding of pain-related distress and depression from the perspectives of people with persistent MSK pain and GPs. DESIGN AND

settingQualitative study with people with persistent MSK pain and GPs from different parts of the UK.

methodSemi-structured interviews conducted remotely and data analysed thematically.

resultsMost participants reported challenges in distinguishing between distress and depression in the context of persistent MSK pain, but also described strategies to make this distinction. Some people described how acceptance of their situation was key and involved optimism about the future and creation of a new identity. Some GPs expressed 'therapeutic nihilism', with uncertainty about the cause of pain and how to manage people with both persistent MSK pain and distress in primary care consultations, while GPs who could identify and build on optimism with patients described how to help the patient to move forwards.

conclusionThis study offers a framework for the primary care consultation with patients presenting with pain-related distress. GPs should recognise the impact of persistent MSK pain on the patient and support the person in coming to terms with their pain, explore how the person feels about the future, encourage optimism, and support self-management strategies.

Indexed as

General PractitionersMusculoskeletal PainSelf-ManagementHumansPrimary Health CareQualitative ResearchReferral and Consultationdepressiongeneral practitionerspainpain managementreferral and consultationself-management

Identifiers

PMID35940885
PMCPMC9377349
OpenAlexW4281387158

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.