Chronic pain and masculine identity: life-world interviews with men at a South African Pain Clinic

ABSTRACT

Purpose

The purpose was to investigate experiences of men who were living with chronic pain in relation to masculine identity and their experiences of treatment at a Chronic Pain Clinic in South Africa.

Methods

A purposive sample of 14 male patients from an outpatient Chronic Pain Clinic participated in the study in 2019. Qualitative inquiry followed a life-world dialogical interview approach. Respondent validation interviews further engaged participant perspectives. Team data analysis, thematic network diagrams and tabulations were used for analysis of the interview data. .

Results

The respondents described multiple challenges of the journey to chronic pain, living with chronic pain, experiences of treatment contexts, ways of coping and the experience of living with chronic pain in relation to masculinity. Three typologies were identified: (1) aligning with hegemonic ideals, (2) a yielding masculinity or (3) an adjusted masculine identity. The findings revealed how masculine identity was positioned by the perceptions of others, interpersonally and within the individual.

Conclusions

Healthcare practitioners and public health can be responsive to the gendered context of living with difficult and long-term pain conditions. Treatment should be supportive and inclusive..