How neighborhood problems and social stress affect chronic pain in older adults
Official title: The impact of interpersonal stressors and residential stressors on chronic pain in older adults: neurobiological and psychological mechanisms
Funded at University of Florida · NIH-11285148 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether problems in the places people live and difficult social relationships make chronic pain worse for older adults.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Florida NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Gainesville, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2023 |
| Project end | January 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $713,148 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG081479-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11285148 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are older adults with ongoing musculoskeletal or chronic pain and/or reduced physical function, especially those living in resource-limited neighborhoods or reporting recent interpersonal stress.
✕Less likely to help
Younger people, those without ongoing chronic pain, or people whose pain is only from a short-term injury are unlikely to get direct benefit from this project.
What this research studies
I would be followed as part of a group of older adults to see how neighborhood conditions and everyday social stress relate to long-term pain and physical function. The team will combine questionnaires about social interactions and mood with objective neighborhood data and biological tests such as blood-based markers (including DNA methylation) and nervous-system/brain-related measures. They will analyze whether emotional factors like coping or depression and biological changes help explain links between stress and pain. Researchers will also check for personal strengths, like social support or resilience, that might protect some people from pain worsening.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to tailor treatments, social supports, or community interventions to reduce chronic pain and improve functioning in older adults.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research links social stress and neighborhood disadvantage to pain, but combining neighborhood measures, psychosocial mediators, and biological markers like DNA methylation and nervous-system measures is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Florida
Gainesville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Terry, Ellen L. — University of Florida
- Study coordinator: Terry, Ellen L.
Related research
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.