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IU International University of Applied Sciences Germany
Faculty of Philosophy, University PIM , Banja Luka , Bosnia and Herzegovina
The prevalence of chronic pain in the general population is estimated at 10 to 30%. Pain can be described as an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience that is associated with, or described in terms of, actual or potential tissue damage. Today, there is a widespread consensus that pain should be recorded as a multidimensional construct that is influenced by social factors in addition to physical and psychological factors. The aim of this paper is to investigate the influence of social support on chronic pain. The sample consists of 40 respondents, 20 people with chronic pain and 20 people without a relevant diagnosis. The questionnaire on social support (F-SozU) by Fydrich, Sommer and Brähler from 2007 was chosen as the research method. In addition, a structured questionnaire for general data, social and medical history, which was constructed for the purposes of this research, was used. Social support was measured using four scales: "Emotional support", "Practical support", "Social integration" and "Satisfaction with social support". In addition, the number of assistants was also recorded. The results show a significant difference in perceived social support and satisfaction between people diagnosed with pain and "healthy" people. Furthermore, there are differences in the number of people who provided support. Patients with chronic pain reported fewer supportive individuals than controls without a pain-related diagnosis. Gender differences could not be clearly confirmed in this study. Nor could it be proven that the reference group had a positive effect on pain in tested persons with chronic pain during their stay in rehabilitation. The results of this study provide a reason for continued research and represent the basis for differentiated research on the impact of social support on the experience and occurrence of pain.
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