Role of interconnected resources in chronic pain among people of color: a psychological network analysis approach

Chronic pain among people of color is influenced by biological, structural, and social forces. While network models have been applied to chronic pain symptoms, research on resource disparities often isolates factors such as income, failing to account for how these systemic resources interact as a dynamic system. Integrating Conservation of Resources theory with psychological network analysis, this study examined how interconnected patterns of resource loss and gain shape chronic pain experiences among a sample of 622 adults identifying as Black, Asian, or Latinx with chronic pain. Network models revealed that Family & Social Support, Work & Career, and Self-Agency were highly central in both loss and gain networks. Network Comparison Tests revealed structural invariance across racial groups, though the Asian subsample demonstrated higher global strength in the gain network. While networks differed by pain intensity, driven primarily by the connectivity of Material & Living Resources, the role of Personal Health & Well-Being remained invariant. Findings highlight the importance of moving beyond individual-level interventions to address resource systems as a whole. Targeting central resources, especially social support and employment, may help interrupt loss and foster recovery, offering more equitable strategies to improve well-being among people of color living with chronic pain.