Peer support for chronic pain
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Exploring stakeholders' perceptions of peer support for adults with chronic pain: a mixed-methods study
IRAS ID
306864
Contact name
Kay Cooper
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Robert Gordon University
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 6 months, 1 days
Research summary
Research Summary:
Chronic pain can be defined as pain that continues past the point of normal tissue healing time (12-weeks), despite medication or other treatments. Chronic pain is common, with one in five people in Scotland experiencing chronic pain. This includes people living with long-term conditions (e.g., arthritis, diabetes, irritable bowel), people who have had an injury or operation, and also people where there is not apparent reason for the pain.
There are many interventions for chronic pain including medication, talking therapies and physical therapies. However, self-management is a vital component, and includes things like relaxation, exercise and pacing of activities. Self-management can be challenging, and support from someone who understands the condition can be helpful.
Peer support, where people with similar experiences come together to support each other, could play an important role in chronic pain self-management. Peer support has been used in several health conditions, with a few studies on chronic pain. One type of peer support is where a person with chronic pain (peer support volunteer) is matched with and supports another person with chronic pain. Peer support interventions are highly variable however, including their format, delivery, duration, and type and amount of training provided to the peer support volunteer. To date, no studies have been done to gather the views of relevant stakeholders (people with chronic pain, potential peer support volunteers, healthcare professionals and others providing peer support interventions) on how they think a peer support intervention for chronic pain should be delivered. The aim of this study is to explore the preferences of stakeholders surrounding peer support interventions so that future peer support interventions can be developed that are both feasible to deliver and beneficial for those involved.
The proposed research has four phases. (1) an online survey will be conducted to explore stakeholders’ views of peer support for chronic pain, including their views on what a peer support intervention should include and how it should be delivered. (2) Stakeholders will opt in to an interview (adults with chronic pain) or focus group (healthcare professionals and others providing peer support interventions) to explore some of the survey findings in more depth. (3) The researcher will use the findings from phases (1) and (2), along with the scientific literature on peer support, to design a peer support intervention for people with chronic pain. (4) Finally, a workshop will be held where stakeholders who took part in phases (1) and/or (2) will be invited to review and refine the proposed peer support intervention.
The outcome will be a peer support intervention that will be tested in a future study.Summary of Research:
Lay summary of study results: Background Chronic pain, defined as pain that persists beyond 12-weeks or past normal tissue healing time, is a common and costly issue. Peer support interventions could play a pivotal role in the management of chronic pain, as these interventions are based on individuals with similar conditions supporting one another. Interventions can vary in several ways, including meeting format, delivery, length of intervention, frequency and duration of contact between peers, and the role and training of the peer support volunteer. No studies have been done to assess the preferences of stakeholders regarding the numerous intervention components. Stakeholders include adults with chronic pain and individuals with experience of treating chronic pain or delivering peer support interventions.Aim of the study
The aim of this study was to explore the preferences of stakeholders surrounding peer support interventions so that future peer support interventions can be developed that are both feasible and optimally beneficial for those involved.What the study involved
This research had two phases. Both phases were conducted with two participant groups: 1) adults with chronic non-cancer pain and 2) individuals with experience of treating chronic pain or delivering peer support interventions. The first phase involved an online survey to determine participant preferences regarding intervention components. The second phase involved interviews which explored these preferences in greater depth and determined common similarities and differences amongst and within the participant groups.Results
The key findings from this study were focussed on participants expressing a desire for peer support interventions to be flexible and delivered in multiple ways. Participants wanted programmes with flexible scheduling, offered in as many delivery modes as possible (face-to-face, online, option for follow up via messaging or phone calls) and without obligation or judgment when pain flares prevented their attendance. Participants also expanded on the reasons for wanting flexible offerings as barriers to attendance, such as physical and logistical barriers, made it difficult to consistently attend in-person gatherings. Participants shared how chronic pain can affect people across the lifespan, so it is valuable to talk with someone from a similar life stage (retired versus working; with or without children). Finally, participants placed high value on individual preferences and suggested that whenever a programme is being developed, organizers should receive input from potential attendees.Conclusion
This research generated new knowledge which can be used to make recommendations for the design and development of peer support interventions tailored to adults with chronic pain. The NHS and other healthcare systems can utilise peer support interventions as an alternative way to support people living with pain and value person-centred care. Additional exploratory work is required to coproduce, pilot and evaluate a peer support intervention incorporating the key findings from this research.REC name
North East - Tyne & Wear South Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/NE/0092
Date of REC Opinion
31 May 2022
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion