Emotional coping strategies in people with chronic non-cancer pain and their caregivers

Chronic non-cancer pain (CNCP) is a fairly widespread health problem that transforms the daily routine of those who suffer from it and those around them. This study seeks to know the influence of the suffering of CNCP on the quality of life of the patient and his/her main caregiver in the family environment. A qualitative methodological design is applied through semi-structured interviews to people who suffer from CNCP (n = 9) and to main caregivers of the family environment of people with this health problem (n = 8). The results show that the pain-care situation negatively influences the quality of life of the people who suffer and those who care for them. The support of the main caregiver is essential for coping with the situation, but it has a negative impact on the health of people, especially women, who perform care tasks.