Acceptability and Barriers to Chronic Pain Treatment in Refugee Torture Survivors

Which chronic somatic pain treatment modalities are acceptable to refugee torture survivors, and what factors influence their access to these treatments?In this qualitative study of 25 refugee torture survivors, all participants expressed willingness to engage in treatment driven by a trust in the healthcare systems and a strong desire to alleviate pain. Despite high acceptability, multiple barriers hindering access to treatment were reported, including language, cultural differences, immigration status, financial constraints, and logistical challenges.These findings suggest that although refugee torture survivors are willing to engage in chronic pain treatment, structural and systemic barriers limit their ability to do so.

Corresponding Author: Sargun Kaur Virk, MBBS, Department of Anesthesiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, 1300 York Ave, New York, NY 10065 (sav4017@med.cornell.edu).

Link to the article in your story

We encourage you to link out to this article in your story using the link below. It includes an access token that will give free access to the article for your readers up to one year after publication. (The link will be live after the article publishes and embargo is lifted.)

Please see the article for additional information, including full author list, author contributions and affiliations, conflict of interest and financial disclosures, and funding and support.

Need more information? Contact us.