“Puttin’ on”: Expectations Versus Family Responses, the Lived Experience of Older African Americans With Chronic Pain

Abstract

The lack of family research documenting the changes that occur and the capacity of families to support individuals with chronic pain effectively is a major limitation in the application of the biopsychosocial model of pain. This study investigated the lived experience of older African Americans ( N = 18) with chronic pain and explored their expectations and perceptions of familial support. A descriptive phenomenology framework revealed an existential theme: “puttin’ on,” a phenomenon that potentiates the power of pain to disrupt roles and relationships and discourages the family from meeting the expected needs of older African Americans. We uncovered new information into the actual support mechanisms that are missing or, when present, are not as positive and strong as would be expected in the African American culture, at least in the context of chronic pain management. Interventions should target family-based education, chronic pain destigmatization, and intergenerational empathy in the African American community.