Attending work with chronic pain is associated with higher levels of psychosocial stress

Greig Adams,Tim V Salomons

doi:10.1080/24740527.2021.1889925

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background and Aims: Much is known about the impact of pain in terms of medical costs and missed work. Less is known about its associations when individuals are present for work. This study examines “presenteeism” by analyzing the psychosocial costs of pain in the workplace, using the 2015 European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS). Methods: We conducted cross-sectional analysis of 2384 individuals with chronic pain and 2263 individuals without pain (matched by age and sex) using data from the 2015 EWCS. We compared groups in terms of the following psychosocial factors: supervisor support, job responsibility, team cohesion, discrimination, threats/abuse, job competency, job reward, sexual harassment, stress, and job security. The groups were also compared in terms of days lost due to illness. Results: People with pain were 64% less likely to view their job as rewarding (odds ratio [OR] = 0.61; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.57–0.65), 47% more likely to be subjected to threats/abuse in the workplace (OR = 0.68; 95% CI, 0.63–0.73), 30% more likely to report poor supervisor support (OR = 0.77; 95% CI, 0.73–0.82), and 28% more likely to perceive discrimination in the workplace (OR = 0.78; 95% CI, 0.71–0.85). People with pain missed approximately nine more days of work per year than respondents without pain. Conclusions: Chronic pain was associated with lower vocational fulfillment and feelings of being ostracized in the workplace. These findings suggest that the presence of pain in the workplace goes well beyond lost productivity due to absenteeism.

Highlights

The economic burden of chronic pain is huge, costing the United States an estimated $560 to $635 billion in 2010, due to a combination of medical costs and productivity lost.[1]
People with pain were 64% less likely to view their job as rewarding, 47% more likely to be subjected to threats/abuse in the workplace (OR = 0.68; 95% CI, 0.63–0.73), 30% more likely to report poor supervisor support (OR = 0.77; 95% CI, 0.73–0.82), and 28% more likely to perceive discrimination in the workplace (OR = 0.78; 95% CI, 0.71–0.85)
These findings suggest that the presence of pain in the workplace goes well beyond lost productivity due to absenteeism

Summary

Introduction

The economic burden of chronic pain is huge, costing the United States an estimated $560 to $635 billion in 2010, due to a combination of medical costs and productivity lost.[1]. Studies that do tally lost productivity costs due to presenteeism are primarily based on employees’ self-reported productiv ity or approximate valuation methods that are difficult to verify.[5,6] Assessing impact involves understand ing the different ways in which individuals with pain might struggle while at work. Much is known about the impact of pain in terms of medical costs and missed work. Conclusions: Chronic pain was associated with lower vocational fulfillment and feelings of being ostracized in the workplace. These findings suggest that the presence of pain in the workplace goes well beyond lost productivity due to absenteeism

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion