Chronic Pain

An Examination of the Well-Being Paradox Among Older Adults Living with Chronic Pain

Principal Investigator: Amara Kohlert

Honours Thesis 2022-23

Click here to read the full thesis

​

 

 

This study was done to understand how age and other things affect the well-being of older adults who have long-lasting pain. People with chronic pain aged 65 or older in Canada took an online survey. We asked questions about age, when chronic pain started, other pain experiences, and overall well-being. We found that current age affects self-acceptance and overall well-being, but the age when pain began does not impact these. Those who think about their pain a lot have lower levels of self-acceptance. We also found that a person’s physical abilities, how they focus on their pain, and how the pain affects their body impact their overall well-being and how confident they feel in their abilities to control and manage their life. How well they can physically function and how much they focus on their pain have the largest impacts on well-being. It is important to pay attention to these two factors when trying to improve well-being among this population.