National survey: Chronic pain strains relationships, careers
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The 2024 National Pain Survey of nearly 2600 people living with chronic pain has found that pain doesn’t just affect the person living with the condition; it affects our entire economy and society.
People living with chronic pain often say that the pain “colours their world” – with 3.6 million people living with chronic pain, this invisible condition is colouring the world of many families.
This is because nearly half of survey respondents have had to stop working because of their pain and almost 30% have had to limit their hours. This is of particular concern, because 47% of respondents are in their prime earning years, generally considered to be the years between 25 to 64 years old.
As well as taking a toll on their work lives, respondents said that the strain of their condition is damaging or destroying their relationships, with two-thirds of respondents feeling that their condition put strain on their relationships with family. Over 60% reported reduced intimacy or a struggle to have sex as a result of their pain. Nearly half struggled to pick up, carry or play with their children.
Finding support and treatment is still taking too long, with 45% of respondents saying it took longer than 3 years to get a diagnosis. Women and non-binary respondents are slower to be diagnosed with chronic pain, with nearly half of women and almost 60% of non-binary respondents waiting more than 3 years for a diagnosis.
Even once diagnosed, multidisciplinary care, which is considered the gold standard to tackle complex pain conditions, is not yet available to most respondents, with only 1 in 5 having been referred to a multidisciplinary pain management program or clinic. But of those who had received multidisciplinary care, 72% would recommend it to others.
President of Chronic Pain Australia, Nicolette Ellis said that the National Pain Survey results highlighted that chronic pain is not just a condition that affects individuals, but which has impacts on wider society.
“We know the well-evidenced solution: multidisciplinary pain management programs must be made widely available in primary care settings, eliminating the 1-3 year wait for tertiary pain management. This should be a priority for any government that wants to increase productivity and promote the well-being of its citizens,” Ellis says.
“Chronic pain is taking far too long to diagnose, and multidisciplinary pain management, which offers the best hope for controlling this complex condition, remains largely inaccessible.
“As a result, many respondents to the National Pain Survey have had to stop working or cut back on their hours, costing the workforce skilled workers at a time when employers are struggling to fill roles. Losing this income exacerbates the cost of living crisis for households, as reduced incomes and increased healthcare costs place further strain on individuals and families.
“The ramifications of the condition are also heartbreaking for the families of people living with chronic pain. Many respondents told us that they aren’t able to participate in regular family life, including picking up and playing with their children, as a result of their pain. Relationships with partners and spouses are also suffering, with many struggling to be intimate, and many feeling that their partners and wider families don’t believe them or don’t understand. The toll on communities of this condition are simply immeasurable.
“Without access to patient-centred, multi-disciplinary care, people living with chronic pain are at risk of a lifetime of disability that leads to serious mental health issues. Chronic pain is a vicious cycle for the 3.6 million Australians living with chronic pain, and a huge drain on society more generally.” Ellis said.
Download the 2024 National Pain Report here.
Ritchelle is a Content Producer for Healthcare Channel, Australia’s premier resource of information for healthcare.
