Figure 1.

The multidimensional conceptual framework of pain-related suffering. The figure visualizes the conceptual framework of pain-related suffering. It distinguishes 8 dimensions of pain-related suffering, which are further specified by 2 to 4 descriptors—with the exception of the spiritual dimension. The strength of the lines that stand for the different dimensions and descriptors represents the number of conceptualizations from the literature that are summarized in each of them. The 4 descriptors “isolation,” “objectification one's own body,” “impaired physical functioning,” and “cognitive impairment” are not included in the final conceptual framework for pain-related suffering. For the purpose of clarity, they are nevertheless visually labeled (in a lighter color) to make the differences between the manually determined and the final framework transparent.