Chronic Pain in Young Adults (18-25 Years): A Qualitative Study of Experiences and Healthcare Expectations

Chronic pain affects approximately 12% of young adults (18–25 years) in the Western world. It entails both physical and psychological suffering and impacts central life domains such as education, employment, and social relationships. Many of those affected will live with pain for large parts of their lives, which has significant consequences for their health, daily functioning, and incurs substantial societal costs. Despite this, research on young adults with chronic pain remains limited.

In the present study, semi-structured individual interviews are conducted with approximately ten young adults with chronic pain. The aim is to gain a deeper understanding of how these young adults experience their situation and what particular needs they have in their interactions with healthcare. We also seek to explore their thoughts on what types of support they would like and how they would prefer to receive such support, as well as any barriers they anticipate in the process. Through these interviews, we hope to identify factors that, in the longer term, may contribute to more individuals in this age group undergoing and benefiting from relevant healthcare interventions.