An Interdisciplinary approach to physical and emotional pain in patients with endometriosis

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21134/pssa.v12i1.105

Keywords:

physical pain, emotional pain, endometriosis, chronic pain, affect

Abstract

Endometriosis is a gynecological condition that affects 10% of the female population in reproductive age worldwide. The diagnosis takes an average of eight years, which causes women to be affected physically and psychologically. The objective of this study is to analyze the discourse representation of physical and emotional pain in reports by Chileanpatients with endometriosis from a psychological and linguistic perspective to establish whether boundaries between physical and emotional pain can be determined. A total of 30 semi-structured interviews were analyzed. Different topics related to endometriosis and its experience were addressed. The data was classified following the System of Appraisal to analyze the resources through which affect and gradation are created in these narratives. Subsequently, this classification was interpreted from a psychological perspective. The results indicate a marked predominance of negative assessment of the physical and emotional pain experiences, represented by affection of the subtype unhappiness (sadness), dissatisfaction (boredom and discontent) and insecurity (restlessness). Mostly, these types of affect were accompanied by various linguistic resources of gradation that intensified the representation of pain when physical conditions were addressed, and mitigated it when the affect was related to emotional pain. Addressing these affective configurations of the discourse of women with endometriosis, with a focus on the exhaustion caused by their experience must be considered when designing actions aimed at improving the quality of care and therapeutic treatments of this population.

 

KEY WORDS: physical pain, emotional pain, endometriosis, chronic pain, affect.

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Author Biographies

  • Natalia Díaz Alegría, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile

    Natalia Díaz is a PhD candidate from the Universidad de Buenos Aires, with a master's degree in Discourse Analysis and a bachelor’s degree on Hispanic Linguistics and Literature from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. She has conducted research in the field of Critical Discourse Analysis, linking argumentation studies and mental health, thus generating studies in the Psychiatric Institute Dr. José Horwitz and a course on mental health at the Faculty of Letters at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.

  • Alegría Arcos, Universidad San Francisco de Quito

    Alegría Arcos holds a degree in Psychology from Universidad San Francisco de Quito. She has conducted research in the areas of health and clinic psychology. Her interests include subjective experiences with the diagnosis of clinic depression, cultural adaptation, mental health in Venezuelan immigrants in Ecuador, and the assessment of a mobile device to offer psychological interventions in Latin American adult professional populations. She has worked on psycho-educational interventions for relatives of pediatric oncological patients. At present, she works at the Colegio Americano de Quito assisting psychologists, educational psychologists, and teachers in primary school level.

  • Mariana Pascual, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile

    Mariana Pascual holds a PhD in Linguistics from the Universidad de Buenos Aires. She is an associate professor at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile with an interest in [Critical] Discourse Analysis. Her research has focused on science and media discourse, with a focus on the discursive construction of evaluation, opinions, and ideologies. She is a member of international research teams conducting studies on discourse and health, analyzing the construction of pain from transcultural perspectives.

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Published

2023-09-07

Issue

Vol. 12 No. 1 (2024): Revista de PSICOLOGÍA DE LA SALUD

Section

Original Papers

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How to Cite

An Interdisciplinary approach to physical and emotional pain in patients with endometriosis. (2023). Journal of HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY, 12(1), 6-19. https://doi.org/10.21134/pssa.v12i1.105

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