From loss to purpose: How new goals can improve life with chronic pain

When chronic pain upended her life, many people might assume the healthiest path forward is letting go of the goals that no longer feel possible. But new research from Edith Cowan University suggests the opposite may be true.

The study, led by Ph.D. candidate Paria Eshraghi at ECU's Centre for Precision Health in Perth, found that adults living with chronic pain reported better mental well-being when they actively sought out new meaningful goals rather than simply releasing attachment to old ones. The research, published in Psychological Applications and Trends 2026, tracked 190 Australian adults living with chronic pain and examined how their approach to goal-setting affected their mental health.

Chronic pain affects roughly one in five adults worldwide, often disrupting work, relationships, and daily routines. For many, activities once central to their identity — staying active, maintaining social connections, pursuing careers — suddenly feel out of reach.

"Living with chronic pain often means valued goals, like staying active or social, are no longer achievable in the same way," Eshraghi said. "We found that people who were able to find new goals and sources of meaning reported better mental well-being."

The distinction mattered. While goal re-engagement — the ability to pivot toward new, meaningful pursuits — correlated strongly with higher well-being, goal disengagement did not produce the same benefit. In fact, for participants whose pain had a major impact on daily life, letting go of old goals was associated with lower well-being.

"When pain severely disrupts life, the research suggests that giving up important goals may feel more like loss than a positive adjustment," Eshraghi noted, though she added that further research is needed to confirm this pattern.

The practical takeaway is striking: an athlete who can no longer play sport might benefit far more from coaching youth teams or volunteering at a community event than from attempting to simply accept their limitations. Connection, purpose, and contribution can take many forms.

"How people adapt to pain can shape their well-being," said Professor Dickson, who collaborated on the study. "Supporting people to find new, meaningful goals may be a key part of helping them live well with chronic pain."

For the millions navigating life with persistent pain, the finding offers a quietly hopeful message: loss does not have to define the story. Purpose can be rebuilt.