Meanings of suffering in the context of primary care

Abstract

Objective. understand the meaning that users ascribe to primary care pain. Methods. Social Construccionism, a semi-structured interview, with users. The analysis was made through the map of association of ideas. Results.The meanings regarding pain unfold three dimensions: experiences and contacts with mourning, unspecific pains and complaints and intervention with medicines. The meaning exposed by the patients indicates the change of physical pain into the moral pain of mourning, and from that into suffering (anxiety and depression) which could lead to psychical and somatic dysfunctions. Conclusion. Different therapeutic strategies are necessary to deal with the aspects of pain exposed, it is necessary to risk into new therapeutic areas which meet the needs of the primary care user.