About the Conference

 

The conference titled "Better Days - A Successful Community Development Approach to Chronic Pain" is a key component of the All-Ireland Knowledge Exchange Project.  This event showcased innovative community-driven strategies that have proven effective in supporting those living with chronic pain. Attendees gained insights into successful practices, explored case studies, and enabled a broad discussion about collaborative approaches to help support individuals living with chronic pain and poor mental health.  The conference fostered a deeper understanding of how community development can be leveraged to improve outcomes and quality of life for those affected by and those living with chronic pain on the island of Ireland. ​ This event gave a platform to the Healthy Living Centre Alliance to share their knowledge and experiences around the key areas of chronic pain and mental health support within the community sector.  

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Why Chronic Pain? 

 

A 2019 news report highlighted that at the time, Chronic pain affected almost one in four people across Northern Ireland; this amounted to an estimated 400,000 people suffering from persistent pain.  Chronic pain affects 400,000 people in NI (bbc.com)

Further to this, data collected by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) reports that there were 237 suicide deaths registered in Northern Ireland in 2021.   This is the highest number since 2015 and represents an increase of 8.2 % from the suicide deaths registered in 2020.   Review of Suicide Deaths in Northern Ireland 2022 (nisra.gov.uk)

Additionally, ​The latest Health Survey (NI) First Results 2022/23 reports that consistently year-on-year, around two-fifths of respondents (40% in 2022/23) have reported a physical or mental health condition or illness expected to last 12 months or more and increased with age, from 14% of those aged 16-24 to two-thirds (65%) of those aged 75 and over.   Health survey Northern Ireland: first results 2022-23 (health-ni.gov.uk)

 

Suicide and chronic pain are serious mental health issues in both the north and south of Ireland.  The Central Statistics Office reported that in 2023, 302 people died by suicide in the south; these figures exclude late registered deaths by suicide.  Suicides - Suicides - data.gov.ie    A study on the prevalence of chronic pain in Ireland states that 1 in 3 people in the south of Ireland have chronic pain, with 1 in 5 people having had pain that lasted more than ten years and in stark contrast with the rest of the population; people with chronic pain are three times more likely to be unemployed due to pain.  Furthermore, this study highlights that 15% of people with chronic pain have clinically relevant depression, which is five times the number of people living with depression without chronic pain.  Consequently, depression is a prevalent complication of chronic pain.  The PRIME Study | Chronic Pain Ireland 

 

This shared learning experience helped equip attendees with the knowledge to improve the health and wellbeing of people in their communities and enhance the working relationships between both organisations, furthering and deepening their collaboration across both jurisdictions around chronic pain management and mental health. 

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This event would not have been possible without the financial support of the Shared Island Civic Society Fund, for which the Healthy Living Centre Alliance and Family Resource Centre National Forum are very grateful.   

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Conference Agenda

"Better Days - A Successful Community Development Approach to Chronic Pain Support"

 

Facilitators: Tina Tully, & Catherine McIntyre, Co-founders of Ómra Support Agency

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Presenters​

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Better Days - Tony Doherty,  Healthy Living Centre Alliance

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Psychology of Pain - Kevin Vowles, Queens University

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Pain Presentation - Pamela Bell, Pain Alliance

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