Work with pain
Background
About one in three working age adults has pain lasting three months or more. This is called chronic pain. Many people living with chronic pain need support to help them to stay in work or get back to work if they’ve had time off because of their pain or have been unable to work due to their pain. Not being able to work, or worrying about staying well whilst working, because of chronic pain can lead to financial worries, stress, anxiety and depression. It’s important, therefore, that we find ways to help people to remain in or start work, either following sick leave or after being unable to work at all because of their pain.
Psychological therapies, such as talking therapy, can help people with chronic pain to keep working. However, we don’t know enough about which therapies are best for people, how these work for people (or what stops them working well), and how best to provide these therapies to different groups of people living with chronic pain or for different types of workers.
Our project aims to address these gaps to understand how we can best support people with chronic pain to be in good and valued work with their pain.
Description
There are two phases of work.
In Phase 1 we are conducting a review of recent research and other relevant documents that test out different psychological therapies that support people with chronic pain to start work, get back to work, or stay in work. This will tell us what types of approaches were used and if some therapies work better than others for people who are or are not currently working. We will provide a summary of what we find out and then ask for feedback on these in the next stage of the project.
In Phase 2 we are interested in speaking to people with chronic pain and a range of other stakeholders including policymakers, clinicians, employers, employment support organisations and occupational health providers. We will discuss the meaning of the findings in different contexts and create action plans for considering how people can be supported to enter employment, return to work, and stay in work.
Participation in the project would involve taking part in one online group discussion at a convenient time. Reimbursement would be provided.
To express interest in the study or to find out more, please contact the project researchers Jo McParland or Lorna Booth, either via email: workstudy@gcu.ac.uk, or via telephone: +44 (0)141 331 3831. The Participant Information Sheet is available to download.
Registered protocol
Details of the project's registered protocol are available to read online.
Project team
Chief Investigator: Dr Joanna McParland (Glasgow Caledonian University)
Co-investigators: Professor Lisa Kidd (Glasgow Caledonian University), Dr Elaine Wainwright (University of Aberdeen), Dr Evangelia Demou (University of Glasgow), Dr Grace Dibben (University of Glasgow), Mr Hussein Patwa (PPI representative), Dr Lynn Williams (University of Strathclyde), Professor Paul Flowers (University of Strathclyde), Dr Ukawuchu Abaraogu (University of the West of Scotland), Dr Jo Daniels (University of Bath), Professor Karen Walker-Bone (University of Monash)
Researchers funded by the study: Dr Lorna Booth (Research Fellow, Glasgow Caledonian University)
Project Advisory Group
The Project Advisory Group is a group of people who support and advise the Work with Pain project. There are ten members who either live with chronic pain or have an interest in supporting those with chronic pain, including employers, clinicians, policymakers, employment support organisation and occupational health providers. The Project Advisory Group meet with members of the Work with Pain project research team every four months and provide advice on all aspects of the project.
Funder
National Institute for Health and Care Research.
Linked website
Contact
Email: workstudy@gcu.ac.uk
Telephone: +44 (0)141 331 3831