SIP Denmark has shared a new publication highlighting the often-overlooked impact of chronic pain on families, relationships, and everyday life.
Chronic pain affects far more than the individual living with the condition. It impacts partners, children, family life, social participation, work, and everyday relationships. Yet the experiences of families living with chronic pain are rarely reflected in healthcare policies, support services, or public debate.
To help address this gap, the Danish Association of People Afflicted by Chronic Pain (FAKS) has supported the publication of Living with Chronic Pain: Family, Love and Resilience, a poetry collection by Danish author Jimmy Thornvig Knudsen. Written from the perspective of a husband, father, and family caregiver, the book offers a rare insight into how chronic pain affects family life, relationships, parenting, and everyday decisions when pain becomes a permanent part of the household.
Through personal reflections and poetic snapshots of everyday life, the author describes the often-overlooked consequences of chronic pain on partners, children, and family relationships. The poems illustrate how chronic pain reaches far beyond the person living with the condition and influences the wellbeing of the entire family.
The publication highlights the need for a more family-centred approach to chronic pain care and policy. While healthcare systems primarily focus on the individual patient, chronic pain often reshapes the lives of partners, children, and informal caregivers. Better recognition of relatives, stronger support structures, and greater awareness of the social consequences of chronic pain are essential to improving quality of life for affected families.
The project was supported by funding from the Danish Ministry of Health, reflecting a growing recognition that chronic pain is not only a health issue but also a significant social and family concern.
By bringing the perspective of a family caregiver into the conversation, Living with Chronic Pain: Family, Love and Resilience contributes to the broader objectives of the Societal Impact of Pain (SIP) Platform, highlighting the need for policies that support not only people living with pain, but also the families who share the consequences of it every day.
Key policy message: Chronic pain affects entire families, not just individuals. Future pain strategies should therefore include support for relatives, family wellbeing, and the social consequences of living with long-term pain.
Further information:
Read the press release and further details (in Danish) here.
Read the press release (in English) here.