SIP is delighted to announce its upcoming event entitled, “Pain and Mental Health: A Societal Impact of Pain (SIP) Event” hosted by MEP Vind. The event will take place at the European Parliament, in Brussels, in Room SPAAK 4B1, on 10th October 2023, between 11h30-13h30 CET.

Under the umbrella of the Societal Impact of Pain (SIP) Platform, a gathering of ten European professional and patient organisations have developed a Joint Statement on the close link between pain and mental health. The nine recommendations call upon EU and national policy makers to ensure a range of aspects related to pain and mental health are acknowledged in health policy.

In Europe there are approximately 740 million people, most of whom experience an episode of severe pain at some point in their life. For approximately 20 percent, that pain persists for longer than three months and will be chronic pain. Therefore, at present, 150 million people are experiencing chronic pain across Europe, approximately equal to the population of France and Germany combined. Chronic pain is more prevalent in women than in men, with some estimates suggesting that women are twice as likely to experience chronic pain as men.

Mental health conditions and chronic pain frequently co-occur and influence each other, creating a vicious cycle of disability. Both pain and mental health conditions cause reduced quality of life, mobility and social participation across the lifespan. When treated in isolation, the treatment of mental health conditions is less successful if patients also have chronic pain, and the treatment of chronic pain is less successful if patients also have a mental health condition. Unfortunately, pain is not routinely assessed or addressed in people with mental health conditions. At the same time, mental health conditions like depression are often underrecognised and thus undertreated in people with chronic pain.

Both chronic pain and mental health conditions are best conceptualised as experiences involving complex interactions between biological, psychological, and social factors. Contemporary management of pain places a large focus on bio-psycho-social assessment and treatment, where all these factors are addressed when relevant to each individual patient.

Recognising and addressing pain in mental health settings and policies are essential to optimise meeting the needs of people with both pain and mental health conditions.

During the event, experts in the field from across Europe, will explore the close relationship between pain and mental health; the quality of and access to safe pain management; the link between pain, mental health and employment; and how can all be integrated into mental health policies. Additionally, different EU Stakeholders will shed a light on topics such as inclusion; inequalities; stigma; mental health and physical activity; and mental health in minority groups.

The agenda can be found here!

If you would like to attend our event, find out more here.

Discover by Societal Impact of Pain (SIP)

The Societal Impact of Pain is a multi-stakeholder partnership led by the European Pain Federation EFIC and Pain Alliance Europe (PAE), which aims to raise awareness of pain and change pain policies. The scientific framework of the SIP platform is under the responsibility of EFIC and the strategic direction of the project is defined by both partners.