Chronic pain is not just a medical issue—it’s a social one, especially for Black, Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC). A new study reveals that discrimination and childhood maltreatment are powerful drivers of pain disparities among BIPOC adults, compounding the effects of poverty, underemployment, and limited access to care.
Researchers found that childhood maltreatment was the strongest predictor of higher baseline pain, while recent discrimination was most closely linked to worsening pain over time. “Discrimination amplified the risk for elevated baseline pain for Black and Latinx individuals,” the study reported. Native American participants also reported significantly higher pain, suggesting additional unmeasured risks.
Women, people living below the federal poverty line, and those in economically polarized neighborhoods experienced even greater pain when childhood trauma was present. The study emphasized that “chronic stress may also amplify the effects of other risk factors,” such as economic insecurity and lack of healthcare access.
The findings underscore the need for trauma-informed, culturally responsive care. “Screening for traumatic exposures and symptoms, followed by referral to evidence-based treatments for PTSD, should be integrated into standard pain care,” the authors urged. They also called for systemic reforms, including healthcare-centered reparations and anti-racist policy changes.
Without addressing the structural roots of inequality, the study warns, “micro-level interventions may have limited effectiveness.” For BIPOC communities, healing pain means confronting the systems that cause it.
See: “The Role of Discrimination, Childhood Maltreatment, and Social Determinants of Health in Adult BIPOC Pain Disparities” (April 4, 2025)
