Scientific Review Highlights Stigma Directed at People Living with Chronic Pain
The International Association for the Study of Pain estimates that 20% of people worldwide live with chronic pain, with low- and middle-income countries reporting a higher chronic pain prevalence of around 33%. A recent scientific review by researchers from the Sapienza University of Rome has now revealed that chronic pain sufferers are increasingly becoming victims of stigma. Stigma is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a mark of disgrace, shame or disapproval that results in discrimination and exclusion from the community. When patients suffer from stigmatized conditions such as HIV/AIDS, obesity, and chronic pain, they are much less…