title: Occupational life trajectories in the context of chronic pain and immigration.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Persons with chronic pain report a range of occupational problems. The specific health needs of immigrants are judged to be poorly understood, and health systems are not prepared to respond adequately. Being an immigrant is regarded as a risk factor for the progression of chronic widespread pain into a state of disability.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To explore occupational life trajectories among immigrant women with chronic pain.
  
  
  METHODS
  A qualitative content analysis was used to capture the latent meaning of experiences in individual interviews of eight women with immigrant background and chronic pain.
  
  
  RESULTS
  An overarching theme, 'making the best of a conditional situation', representing the women's occupational life trajectories, covers the content of two categories: 'being controlled', including affected self-perception, social relations, and future prospects, and 'trying to deal with challenges', comprising a focus on resources, having trust in one's own judgements and getting help from others.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The experiences demonstrate an occupational life controlled by internal and external factors and may be understood as a disrupted occupational life trajectory. This knowledge may be helpful to occupational therapists supporting immigrant women's attempts to regain a structured life despite the constant presence of pain.
authors.affiliation: a Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology/Occupational Therapy, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg , Göteborg , Sweden ;
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mårtensson
authors.affiliation: b Department of Social and Welfare Studies , Faculty of Health Sciences, Linköping University , Linköping , Sweden.
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Liedberg
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008875:Middle Aged; D059352:Musculoskeletal Pain / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012649:Self Concept; D066262:Social Norms; D058992:Social Participation; D013548:Sweden
keywords: Activities of daily living; long-term pain; migrant; occupational therapy; qualitative method