ArticleBMJ open2023
Suffering out of sight but not out of mind - interpreting experiences of sick leave due to chronic pain in a community setting: a qualitative study.
Article in BMJ open, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 7 citations in OpenAlex.
- The Experience of Stigma in People Affected by Fibromyalgia: A Metasynthesis.Journal of advanced nursing · 2025Pooled it
- Efficacy of a Remote Person-Centered Intervention Using an eHealth Platform and Telephone Support for Persons With Chronic Pain: Randomized Controlled Trial.JMIR formative research · 2026Trial
- The importance of partnership in chronic pain - co-creation of tomorrow's pain care by working together in research, implementation, and knowledge dissemination.Frontiers in pain research (Lausanne, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Full-spectrum cannabis extracts for women with chronic pain syndromes: a real-life retrospective report of multi-symptomatic benefits after treatment with individually tailored dosage schemes.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2025Article
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Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveChronic pain is a complex health problem affecting about one-fifth of the European population. It is a leading cause of years lived with disability worldwide, with serious personal, relational and socioeconomic consequences. Chronic pain and sick leave adversely affect health and quality of life. Thus, understanding this phenomenon is essential for reducing suffering, understanding the need for support and promoting a rapid return to work and an active lifestyle. This study aimed to describe and interpret persons' experiences of being on sick leave due to chronic pain.
designA qualitative study with semistructured interviews analysed using a phenomenological hermeneutic approach.
settingParticipants were recruited from a community setting in Sweden.
participantsFourteen participants (12 women) with experiences of part-time or full-time sick leave from work due to chronic pain were included in the study.
resultsSuffering out of sight but not out of mind was the main theme of the qualitative analysis. This theme implies that the participants' constant suffering was invisible to others, causing them to feel they were not being justly treated in society. Feeling overlooked led to a continuous struggle for recognition. Moreover, the participants' identities and their trust in themselves and their bodies were challenged. However, our study also revealed a nuanced understanding of the experiences of sick leave as a consequence of chronic pain, where the participants learnt important lessons, including coping strategies and re-evaluated priorities.
conclusionsBeing on sick leave due to chronic pain threatens a person's integrity and leads to substantial suffering. An enhanced understanding of the meaning of sick leave due to chronic pain provides important considerations for their care and support. This study highlights the importance of feeling acknowledged and being met with justice in encounters with others.
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