Sufferers may be stigmatized.

Many patients with chronic pain conditions may be stigmatized in the eyes of the American public, a Saint Lou is University School of Medicine study revealed. People often have conditions in which their pain is not well-explained by medical evidence. Because of this, the public tends to discount their symptoms. The study also found that sympathy was not forthcoming when the patients were in some way responsible for their injuries and/or when the observer had a negative impression of that person.

Raymond Tait, associate professor of psychiatry and human behavior and director of the Pain Management Program, points out that, even though the project was done with a lay audience, the findings may have relevance for doctors. "The tendency to discount symptoms was very strong and it is likely that similar attitudes prevail among physicians, although that issue remains to be addressed."

The study involved administering written descriptions of hypothetical patients with lower back pain to a sample of undergraduate students. They were asked to estimate symptom severity (pain, distress, and disability) for each of the hypothetical patients. Those who lacked strong medical evidence to support their symptoms...