Women’s Experiences of Living with Chronic Pain: A Qualitative Meta-Synthesis

The prevalence of chronic pain varies between males and females, and they also have distinct pain experiences. This meta-synthesis aimed to develop a comprehensive understanding of women’s lived experiences with chronic pain. Six electronic databases were searched in May and June 2022: PubMed Central, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL Plus), the Health Research Premium Collection, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, and PsycINFO. Studies were included if they were full-text journal articles, reported in English, presented qualitative findings obtained using qualitative research methods, and focused on the experience of females over eighteen years old, living with chronic pain (not associated with cancer or conditions that are terminal). The search was updated in November 2024. Analysis of the seventy studies retrieved identified four themes: Pain and Multiple Responsibilities; Countless Losses (and Their Psychological Effects); Lack of Understanding: Delegitimizing and Disempowering Encounters; and Solace and Self-Empowerment. Confidence in all four themes was evaluated as high. These findings indicate that there are common themes that run through the lives of women living with chronic pain across a range of different age groups, locations, and conditions. These domains present actionable opportunities to enhance pain management and well-being for women living with chronic pain.