Empathic Accuracy in Chronic Pain: Exploring Patient and Informal Caregiver Differences and Their Personality Correlates

How do the activity patterns of people with chronic pain influence the empathic response of future health professionals: an experimental study

Empathy in healthcare professionals is associated with better treatment outcomes and higher satisfaction among patients with chronic pain. Activity patterns play an essential role in the adjustment of these patients and, as a pain behaviour, may have a communicative function and elicit distinct empathic responses. This study investigated whether the activity pattern profiles characteristic of these patients had differential effects on the empathic response (empathic distress and compassion/sympathy) of future healthcare professionals. Healthcare professionals should improve their knowledge about the role of different activity patterns in the well-being of people with chronic pain and receive specific training in empathic skills. We controlled for several variables that could affect the empathic response (sex, age, academic degree, previous experience of chronic pain, and dispositional empathy).A total of 228 undergraduates performed an experimental task using vignettes depicting four activity pattern profiles displayed by people with chronic pain and completed questionnaires measuring dispositional and situational empathy. We conducted a MANCOVA analysis.Undergraduates showed more compassion/sympathy toward the medium cycler profile than toward the doer profile. Participants' age was associated with empathic distress. Sex, academic degree, and previous experiences with chronic pain were not associated with their empathic response to the vignettes. Dispositional perspective-taking and empathic concern were significantly associated with compassion/sympathy responses, and personal distress was significantly associated with empathic distress.Activity pattern profiles may have a communicative function and elicit different empathic responses toward people with chronic pain. Individual differences in dispositional empathy play an important role on situational empathic responses.

Becoming a secondary actor of one's own life: A qualitative study of the experiences of informal caregivers in the care of people with chronic pain

INTRODUCTION

The physical limitations experienced by people with chronic pain (CP) produce a greater need for care and assistance, most of which is provided by an informal caregiver (IC). Despite the key role ICs play in the everyday lives of individuals living with CP, knowledge about their experiences and needs is limited. We aimed to address this limitation by exploring the experiences of IC of people with CP.

METHODS

This is a qualitative descriptive study using semistructured interviews. Participants were 12 ICs purposively chosen from the Unit of Pain at the University Hospital in Cádiz. Individual interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed following thematic analysis.

RESULTS

We developed one overarching theme 'Becoming a secondary actor of one's own life' and three themes: 1. Key elements that shape a caregiver's experiences; 2. It's the hand that life dealt me; 3. The burden of being a caregiver and coping strategies.

CONCLUSIONS

This study's findings highlight how the CP impacts IC lives. Being an IC for a relative with CP became the most important role in the IC's life, to the point of casting a shadow over their own needs. Besides, participants felt not having other options but to keep going with that role. Yet, the context was essential in shaping the experiences as caregivers and the burden derived from caregiving. In this line, differences related to gender roles were found in the narratives of participant women and men.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

Participants were purposively chosen from the Unit of Pain at the University Hospital 'Puerta del Mar' who attended the consultation accompanying their relatives. All the eligible participants were approached by the clinician. After this initial approach by the clinician, one of the researchers met the potential participant and they went to a quieter place in a clinical setting for the interview, before which the participant was shown a letter with more comprehensive information about the study and its aim. The participants were left alone to read and think carefully before giving their written informed consent. Participation was voluntary and the subjects received no financial contribution for their time.