The determinants of meaning of pain following an acute traumatic injury

Rationale and aims Meaning is an integral aspect of life that drives behaviours, actions and emotions. Perception of pain is believed to be affected by the meaning of pain. Our primary aim was to investigate and discuss the determinants of meaning in acute pain following a traumatic injury. Methodological design Using the Interpretive Description approach, a method of qualitative inquiry, 13 adults hospitalised due to their accidental injuries were recruited. Semi‐structured interviews that were digitally recorded were used to collect the data. Ethical approval was received by our local Health Research Ethics Board, and all relevant ethical standards were followed as outlined in the approved ethics proposal. Findings The three primary determinants of meaning during an acute pain event, or the experience of acute pain include permanence of injuries, incongruence of care quality, and personal responses to the injury and care received. Although the permanence of an injury is lasting, we did not find any emotional response to this fact while the participants were hospitalised. The emotion characterising the personal response to the perceived poor quality of hospital care received was anxiety. Conclusion Both the technical and personal components of healthcare quality have the potential to increase the perception of pain. Meanings in an acute pain event are primarily related to the determinants of incongruent care and the personal response to that determinant: anxiety.