Beyond the Surface: National Campaign for Pain Awareness Month

Sep 1, 2025

Beyond the Surface: National Campaign for Pain Awareness Month to tackle stigma

*Captions for images of chronic pain sufferers embedded on photo’s and in notes below

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, September 1st

‘Beyond the Surface’: Chronic Pain Ireland launches national campaign to tackle stigma for Pain Awareness Month

  • Up to 1 in 3 people in Ireland live with chronic pain — an often invisible and misunderstood condition
  • ‘Beyond the Surface’ campaign during September’s Pain Awareness Month calls for greater empathy, early intervention and system-wide change
  • Chronic Pain Ireland and Societal Impact of Pain (SIP) Ireland call for investment in prevention, awareness and access to timely, holistic care

Chronic Pain Ireland is today (Monday, September 1st) launching its 2025 Pain Awareness Month campaign with the theme ‘Beyond the Surface’, focusing on the hidden struggles of chronic pain and the stigma that surrounds it.

Chronic pain — defined as pain lasting longer than three months — often arises from injury, illness or unknown causes. It can affect anyone, at any age, and has wide-reaching impacts on mental health, mobility, work, relationships and quality of life.

It is one of the most prevalent health issues in Ireland, yet it continues to receive limited recognition, understanding and visibility. Many people living with chronic pain report not being believed — even by healthcare professionals, employers and family members.

Throughout September, Chronic Pain Ireland will host free workshops and events to mark Pain Awareness Month. The public is invited to join the global campaign using the hashtag #PainAwarenessMonth and to learn how small acts of empathy can make a big difference.

Chronic pain is not only a personal burden — it’s a major public health issue. It is a leading reason people reduce or leave work, withdraw from daily activities and experience long-term disability. According to the Irish Pain Society, chronic pain costs the Irish economy over €4.7 billion annually.

Despite the cost, chronic pain remains under-recognised and underfunded in Ireland and across Europe. Chronic Pain Ireland and the Societal Impact of Pain (SIP) Ireland are calling for urgent investment in prevention and early intervention, including:

  • Public health campaigns to raise awareness and improve health literacy
  • Structured education and exercise programmes in healthcare and workplace settings
  • Timely access to biopsychosocial rehabilitation for people at risk of long-term pain
  • Inclusive employment policies that support job retention and return to work
  • Stronger primary care pathways to ensure early diagnosis and treatment.

Christina Donnelly, Executive Director of Chronic Pain Ireland, says:

“Chronic pain is a heavy burden as often pain is invisible. Stigma adds more weight to that burden, wearing you down, impacting on mental health and wellbeing. This campaign aims to bring that pain to the surface — to challenge and end pain stigma, to help promote understanding, and to call for a system that believes and supports people from the start.”

Chronic Pain Ireland member Elizabeth Mansfield, who lives with chronic pain, says:

“My pain is real, but invisible. When people can’t see it, they doubt it, question it, lose patience with you by thinking you are making it all up. That doubt slowly wears you down physically and mentally. This campaign matters because it gives us a voice — and helps others see what we live with every day.”

Chronic Pain Ireland member Fionnuala Fildes, who lives with chronic pain, says:

“Chronic pain has impacted almost every moment of my life for the last 42 years. I work extremely hard to keep myself positive. My brain is perfect, but my body has its limitations. I do my best to stay positive and continue to smile. However, some people disbelieve me and can be judgemental.”

University of Galway Professor of Clinical Psychology and representative for SIP Ireland, Brian McGuire, says:

“We have the tools to prevent chronic pain from becoming a lifelong disability, but people are still falling through the cracks. We need a coordinated, compassionate response — one that sees pain not just as a symptom, but as a priority in its own right.”

To find out how you can support the campaign or to learn more about chronic pain, visit www.chronicpain.ie.

Join the conversation on social media using the tag #PainAwarenessMonth.

———-PRESS RELEASE ENDS———

For more information or to request interviews with members of Chronic Pain Ireland living with pain contact Chronic Pain Ireland on 01 8047567 or email info@chronicpain.ie

NOTES TO EDITORS

ABOUT CHRONIC PAIN IRELAND

Chronic Pain Ireland (CPI) is the national charity providing information, education and support to people living with chronic pain and their families. CPI advocates for greater awareness, improved care, and an inclusive society where people with chronic pain are believed, understood, and supported.

 

ABOUT SIP IRELAND

The Societal Impact of Pain (SIP) Ireland is a national multi-stakeholder platform working to reduce the personal, social and economic burden of pain in Ireland. SIP Ireland brings together patients, healthcare professionals, researchers, policymakers, regulators, advocacy groups and health system leaders in a collaborative coalition to improve pain care, cut costs, and support people in work and daily life.

SIP Ireland is part of the wider European Societal Impact of Pain initiative, which is jointly led by the European Pain Federation EFIC (the professional organisation for pain science, education and practice) and Pain Alliance Europe (PAE) (the umbrella NGO representing people with chronic pain across Europe). SIP national platforms, including SIP Ireland, translate these European-level objectives into national contexts — building awareness, informing policy, promoting best practice, and ensuring that the voices of people affected by pain are heard in decision-making.

SOURCES

  • PRIME Study, NUI Galway: Raftery et al., Pain, 2011
  • Irish Pain Society, EFIC 2022 Congress Data
  • European Pain Federation EFIC: https://www.europeanpainfederation.eu
  • Global Burden of Disease Study, IHME (2021): https://www.healthdata.org/gbd
Caption for images of Elizabeth Mansfield
Pictured at the launch of Pain Awareness Month is Chronic Pain Ireland member Elizabeth Mansfield from Dundrum, Co. Dublin. Like many of the up to 1 in 3 people in Ireland living with chronic pain, Elizabeth’s condition is invisible — but very real. Beyond the surface, she is always thinking about the “what ifs” of the future and, in essence, grieving the loss of the life she once thought was planned out for her. This year’s global campaign, themed “Beyond the Surface”, highlights those hidden struggles and calls for greater empathy, understanding, and action to support people in Ireland with chronic pain.

Caption for images of Fionnuala Fildes

Pictured at the launch of Pain Awareness Month is Chronic Pain Ireland member Fionnuala Fildes from Bray, Co. Wicklow. Like many of the up to 1 in 3 people in Ireland living with chronic pain, she continues to face a lack of understanding — even when her pain is visible through the use of crutches. Too often, she says, people respond with quick fixes or consultant referrals, when what she really needs is empathy and the space to manage her condition in her own way. This year’s campaign theme, “Beyond the Surface”, highlights how living with pain is about much more than what others can see.

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