A grounded theory of attitudes towards online psychological pain management interventions in chronic pain patients

Chronic pain is a living reality for many individuals. This article presents findings of a grounded theory of attitudes towards online psychological interventions for pain management. Interviews were conducted with 21 participants. 5 super-ordinate categories comprising 11 sub-themes were generated. An attitude model reflecting inter-relationships between themes was developed. Overall, results reveal that escalating pain, the inability to find pain relief and a number of facilitating factors play a role in the formation of positive attitudes to psychological pain management and increase the likelihood of service uptake. On the other hand, a number of impeding factors including negative affect, a lack of resources and the need to exercise caution hindered help-seeking behavior. Accessing online help to cope with pain is not usually an option since most participants were unfamiliar with psychological services for pain management. Nonetheless, online interventions help eliminate a number of barriers to service access and participants seemed quite accepting of these treatments. The presence of a human element remains an indispensable asset to service uptake as reflected in the emergent theory entitled Wanting the Real Thing. Incorporating some form of human contact may enhance the utility of these services.