It’s not fair: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of discourses of justice and fairness in chronic pain

Abstract

Quantitative research suggests that perceiving injustice can impact negatively upon physical and psychological health in chronic pain. However, little is known about the experience and perceptions of injustice in this context. This study examines the phenomenology of justice and injustice in chronic pain. Fifteen chronic pain sufferers recruited from General Practices in upper, middle and lower socioeconomic areas participated in one of three focus group discussions. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to interrogate justice-related conceptions. All discussions were observed, audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and subjected to Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. The dominant theme of the upper socioeconomic group was ‘seeking equality’. For the middle socioeconomic group the dominant theme was ‘battle for quality of life’ and for the lower socioeconomic group the dominant theme was ‘the unfair advantage of others’. It is concluded that this group of chronic pain sufferers prioritize justice-related issues in terms of what is dominant to their social concerns and personal needs.