Living with painful endometriosis – A struggle for coherence. A qualitative study

A Hållstam, Andrea Hållstam, Hållstam A, BM. Stålnacke, Stålnacke BM, B M Stålnacke, Svensén C, Christer Svensén, C Svensén, Löfgren M, M Löfgren, Monika Löfgren
Sexual & reproductive healthcare : official journal of the Swedish Association of Midwives · 2018 · vol. 17 , pp. 97–102 · doi:10.1016/j.srhc.2018.06.002 · PMID:30193728 · W2809049346
article OA: closed CC0 ⤵ 41 in-corpus citations
View on OpenAlex View on PubMed View at publisher
⚙ AI-generated summary by claude@2026-06, 2026-06-07 ⓘ

This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of individuals with painful endometriosis, focusing on their struggle to maintain a coherent sense of self amidst chronic pain.

One-sentence paraphrase of the abstract; not a substitute for reading it. No clinical advice. How this works

Abstract

ObjectivesThe study sought to examine women's experience of painful endometriosis including long-term aspects, social consequences, impact of treatment and development of own coping strategies.Study designThis qualitative study was based on 16 individual interviews analyzed according to grounded theory. The thirteen women (age 24-48) were recruited at a pain clinic in Stockholm, Sweden.ResultsA theory illustrating women's experience of living with painful endometriosis was developed with three categories and one core category. Bidirectional interactions between the categories and with the core category were found. Endometriosis influenced the women's sensations, feelings and reactions, creating a sense of difference from other women (category: Woman with painful endometriosis). The condition led to either helpful or harmful encounters with health care and significant others (category: Dependence). It also had overall physical, social and existential consequences (category: A ruined life). To cope, the women had to struggle for coherence by searching for understanding, coping and meaning (core category: Living with painful endometriosis).ConclusionsLiving with severe painful endometriosis signified a struggle for coherence. The women needed to deal with feelings of difference, dependence and a ruined life and thus struggled for understanding, coping and meaning. Health-care providers should promote the struggle for coherence by explaining the feeling of difference, minimizing dependence and supporting the process of disease-related grief.

My notes (saved in your browser only)

Condition tags

endometriosis

MeSH descriptors

Adaptation, Psychological Emotions Endometriosis Interpersonal Relations Pain Quality of Life Sense of Coherence Adult Attitude to Health Endometriosis Endometriosis Female Grief Grounded Theory Humans Middle Aged Pain Qualitative Research Surveys and Questionnaires Sweden

Citation neighborhood

Papers in the corpus that this work cites (lower rings, blue) and that cite this one (upper rings, green). Dot size scales with the paper's in-corpus citation count — bigger dot = more influential within the endo/adeno field. Click a dot to open that paper. [ expand to 2 hops ] — adds papers reached through this work's immediate citers/citees. Heavier; up to 60 extra dots.

References (27)

Cited by (44)

Source provenance

europepmc
last seen: 2026-08-05T06:13:34.187606+00:00
openalex
last seen: 2026-06-10T17:14:06.276822+00:00
pubmed
last seen: 2026-05-13T22:19:37.156494+00:00
unpaywall
last seen: 2026-06-13T06:42:57.164913+00:00
License: CC0 · commercial use OK