Pain Expression in the Perioperative Period: Insights from a Focus Group of Somali Women

The use of pain relief during labor among migrant obstetric populations

“…These studies indicate that caregivers with a similar cultural background to parturients are better able to interpret the severity of pain experienced. Interpretation of pain severity is made more difficult by expression variability among different cultures [24]. Accordingly, it appears likely that care givers underestimate the severity of pain experienced by a parturient and, consequently, they could be less likely to recommend the use of analgesia.…”

Somali Immigrant Women’s Health Care Experiences and Beliefs Regarding Pregnancy and Birth in the United States

“…It was a surprising observation for us that the Somali women did not express any concern about pain during the focus groups. Ness (2009) has studied pain expression in the perioperative period with Somali women and found that there is a strong reliance on Allah, who is the only one who understands their pain, and that the expression of pain may vary greatly from silence to screaming and that the preferred expression of pain is in their native language. Finnström and Söderhamn (2006) have interviewed Somali women regarding perceptions of pain and handling of pain and concluded that pain behavior is culturally based, that it is a natural part of life, and that they accept pain as it is given by Allah.…”

Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine for Survivors of Torture and Refugee Trauma: A Descriptive Report

“…While seeking medical attention is generally accepted, consulting a psychologist to address psychological symptoms may be unfamiliar or even stigmatizing in some cultures, and therefore identifying and assessing methods sensitive to their cultural dimensions is essential to providing care to this vulnerable population [25]. Strong religious ties are also potential barriers to treatment if alleviation of pain is considered in the hands of a higher being [35].…”