Loneliness, exclusion and pain.

In 2020, my life changed dramatically following a cycling accident. I recently shared my personal experience of living with chronic pain, with the aftermath of the resulting injuries having a deep and lasting impact on both my personal and professional life. Like many pain sufferers, I quickly learnt that while the physical symptoms of pain can often feel all-consuming, the emotional impact of pain – on your identity, self-confidence, mental health and relationships to those closest to you – can be just as debilitating. Pain can prove to be an isolating experience for many, having a devastating impact on a person’s quality of life and overall wellbeing.?

Indeed, the results of the latest Haleon Pain Index (HPI) [1] highlight that the social and emotional impact of pain is intensifying worldwide, by as much as 25 per cent since the first survey was conducted in 2014.??

One of the more positive side-effects of the Covid-19 pandemic was that it propelled the importance of health and self-care to the forefront of people’s minds and dominated the global conversation. With that shift, we expected to see evidence of more open conversations about pain and more empathy from wider society towards those experiencing pain.

So it was surprising to see that, according to the latest edition of the HPI, almost half of pain sufferers (49 per cent) feel stigmatised by their pain [2] , while a third (32 per cent) fear they will be judged if they talk about their symptoms. What’s most concerning is that 42 per cent of those surveyed felt lonely as a result of being in pain, with one third feeling seriously lonely [3]. ?

Could it be that the more positive societal and cultural effects of the pandemic have drawn to a close, with society growing less accepting of those living with pain? Perhaps the geo-political, socio-economic and climate crises which are inflicting hardships on people and communities across the globe have hardened views to such an extent that people in pain are expected to just “get on with it”??

Our global study also tells us that the way people experience pain is deeply personal and unique to them – and this certainly mirrors my own experience.

The difficult reality is that that people from marginalised or underrepresented groups – including women and those from the LGBQ+ community and ethnic minority backgrounds - tend to be disproportionately impacted by pain, with the HPI revealing that people who already experience bias, discrimination, and exclusion are the worst affected by society’s hardening views of pain.?

While these latest findings from the HPI make for depressing reading, I feel uplifted by the fact that I work for a company which can use its scale, expertise and influence to make a positive impact on the world. With a purpose to deliver better everyday health with humanity, Haleon aims to partner with others to reduce health inequalities – including for those living with pain.??

By investing in research and action, we can build a better understanding of what’s holding marginalised and underserved people back from achieving better everyday health and how we can work with others to effect meaningful change.??

That’s why we continue to invest in the Haleon Pain Index - which has been going strong for almost a decade – so that we can better understand the evolving state of pain across the globe and build an effective response.?

With the latest HPI revealing that a more personalised and compassionate view of pain is needed – particularly for those experiencing bias, prejudice and discrimination – Haleon is taking positive steps in building a more empathetic approach to pain relief. For example, our Advil Pain Equity Project in the US (#believemypain) aims to better understand the pain experience and address the pain bias felt by people of colour. ?And through our global #ListenToPain programme, we’re helping health professionals achieve better treatment and care outcomes for those in pain through a more customised approach to pain management and improved patient dialogue. ?

We also recognise that, while Haleon can act as a powerful agent in making a difference to people’s experience of pain, we can’t do this alone. We cannot deliver enough impact or progress for society unless we convene multiple voices to come together to drive systemic change.?

With continuity of care, and by truly understanding how pain may change over time, we can help the people who treat pain to evolve pain management strategies that treat the whole person.???

It’s time we acknowledge that and work collectively to lessen the social and emotional impact of pain by designing ways to cut off the impact of pain, rather than cutting off or judging the person.?

[1] Haleon Pain Index. 2023. Data on file.?

[2] The Haleon Pain Index is formerly known as the Global Pain Index.??

[3] Russell, D, et al.,1978. Developing a measure of loneliness. Journal of Personality Assessment, 42, 290-294. Available: https://fetzer.org/sites/default/files/images/stories/pdf/selfmeasures/Self_Measures_for_Loneliness_and_Interpersonal_Problems_UCLA_LONELINESS.pdf. [2023, September 18].?

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