The Impact of CRPS on Social & Personal Identity
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The Impact of Chronic Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) on Personal and Social Identity
IRAS ID
272188
Contact name
Craig Murray
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Lancaster University
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 6 months, 30 days
Research summary
The proposed study will explore participants' experiences of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) and how it affects them, focusing in particular on its impact on personal and social identity. CRPS is a relatively rare pain condition affecting around 1 in 3800 people; there is no known cure and in its chronic form (duration >12 months) CRPS can cause significant disability.
Qualitative research into CRPS is sparse, perhaps contributing to healthcare professionals' poor understanding of what it is like to live with this condition, and to patients' anxiety about their diagnosis.
The proposed study therefore uses a qualitative approach. Semi-structured interviews with people diagnosed with CRPS will be utilised. Participants will be recruited via a pain clinic; it is hoped that 6-8 participants will be recruited, each completing an individual interview of around 60-90 minutes in duration. Interview transcripts will be analysed using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach.
The study aims to better understand the impact of living with this condition on individuals’ personal and social identity. It is hoped that this will contribute to strategies for coming to terms with the diagnosis. This will be of benefit to clinical psychologists working with these individuals, as well as being of interest to wider staff groups.
REC name
North West - Liverpool Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
20/NW/0087
Date of REC Opinion
20 Feb 2020
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion