Poster can be found in location 43.

Background: Chronic pain is a complex health problem affecting about one-fifth of the European population. It is a leading cause of years lived with disability worldwide, with serious personal, relational and socioeconomic consequences. Chronic pain and sick leave adversely affect health and quality of life. Thus, understanding this phenomenon is essential for reducing suffering, understanding the need for support and promoting a rapid return to work and quality of life. Objective: This study aimed to describe and interpret persons’ experiences of being on sick leave due to chronic pain. Design: A qualitative study with semi-structured interviews analyzed using a phenomenological hermeneutic approach. Setting: Participants were recruited from a community setting in Sweden. Participants: Fourteen participants (12 women) with experiences of part-time or full-time sick leave from work due to chronic pain were included in the study. Results: Suffering out of sight but not out of mind was the main theme of the qualitative analysis. This theme implies that the participants’ suffering was constantly present yet invisible to others, causing them to feel they were not being justly treated in society. Feeling overlooked led to a continuous struggle for recognition. Moreover, the participants’ identities and their trust in themselves and their bodies were challenged. However, our study also revealed a nuanced understanding of the experiences of sick leave as a consequence of chronic pain, where the participants learnt important lessons, including coping strategies and re-evaluated priorities. Conclusions: Being on sick leave due to chronic pain threatens a person’s integrity and leads to substantial suffering. This study highlights the importance of feeling acknowledged and being met with justice in encounters with others. We believe the central aspects of person-centred care; listening to the person´s narrative and establishing a partnership, can be an important part of the puzzle towards achieving this.