title: Is chronic widespread pain biographically disruptive?
abstract: This article draws on findings from a study of eight people (aged 40-60) with chronic widespread pain and their families, living in the West Midlands area of the UK. Data were generated through a series of in-depth interviews, based on a lifegrid and on participants' diaries. We explore the experience of chronic widespread pain in the context of sufferers' biographies, examining how people attempt to account for and give meaning to their pain onset and development and how they remake identity following disruption to their lives. We use these accounts to consider whether chronic widespread pain is biographically disruptive, or whether any of the alternative notions better describe the experience. We conclude that the consideration of context in biographical disruption should extend to lifestage and perceived life expectancy.
authors.affiliation: Keele University, Keele, Staffs ST5 5BG, UK. j.c.richardson@keele.ac.uk
authors.forename: Jane C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Richardson
authors.forename: Bie Nio
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Ong
authors.forename: Julius
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sim
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001325:Autobiographies as Topic; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008016:Life Change Events; D008017:Life Expectancy; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000523:psychology*; D012803:Sick Role