{"id":19604,"date":"2021-02-02T23:59:43","date_gmt":"2021-02-03T04:59:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cpa.ca\/?p=19604"},"modified":"2022-05-05T14:19:53","modified_gmt":"2022-05-05T18:19:53","slug":"psychology-month-profile-gabrielle-page","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cpa.ca\/fr\/psychology-month-profile-gabrielle-page\/","title":{"rendered":"Psychology Month Profile: Gabrielle Pag\u00e9"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/a><\/p>\n
Gabrielle Pag\u00e9<\/strong>
\n\tDr. Gabrielle Pag\u00e9 works with people experiencing chronic pain. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she and her team have had to pivot to a number of different forms of care. They have discovered some expected results among those suffering from chronic pain, but also some real surprises.<\/div>\n
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\r\n \r\n <\/i><\/span>\r\n <\/i><\/span>\r\n <\/span>\r\n About Gabrielle Pag\u00e9<\/span>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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Gabrielle Pag\u00e9<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cChronic pain has always been one of the more neglected areas within the health care system. Within the context of the pandemic, we didn\u2019t expect that to improve \u2013 rather, the opposite.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Gabrielle Pag\u00e9 is an assistant professor in the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine at the Universit\u00e9 de Montr\u00e9al. She is also a clinical psychologist working out of the Montreal General Hospital specializing in chronic pain conditions. When COVID-19 struck, Dr. Pag\u00e9 and her team decided now was the time to move more toward an advocacy role, to inform the public about chronic pain, and to make this a larger part of the overall health care discussion.<\/p>\n

They began by launching a Canada-wide survey of people experiencing chronic pain, and found out that over the first few weeks of the pandemic and the lockdown, 2\/3 of them reported that their pain was getting worse. This was in April-May, right as the first wave was rising across all provinces. The idea that most people\u2019s chronic pain would get worse at this time was an expected result given the magnified difficulties to access pain treatment, increased stress and social isolation.<\/p>\n

What was less expected \u2013 and almost shocking for Dr. Pag\u00e9 and her team \u2013 was that a small group, 5-10% of respondents, actually reported that their pain had been lessened<\/em> during this time.<\/p>\n

Stress is a big predictor of the severity of chronic pain. When patients are stressed out, they experience more pain \u2013 more pain leads to more stress, which leads to\u2026well, you get the idea. So it was very surprising that such a large number of people reported an improvement. Maybe they were going for walks, taking the time to connect with family members, or were laid off from a job that had been causing the bulk of their stress. Dr. Pag\u00e9 can\u2019t say what the cause is, or was, but she is determined to find out.<\/p>\n

As I\u2019m speaking with Dr. Pag\u00e9, her team is wrapping up a follow-up study to the one they conducted in May. Will the outcomes be similar, or will something new present itself? They should know soon enough. Also, as we\u2019re speaking, Montreal is entering Day One of the big winter lockdown. Curfews in place, all non-essential businesses closed, and the multidisciplinary pain clinic in the Montreal General Hospital is deciding how to move forward.<\/p>\n

Dr. Pag\u00e9\u2019s clients, for the most part, have been receptive to virtual therapy. Even the group therapy programs which were a concern seem to have adapted well.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe social bond, the connection that they make and just being around other people who get what it\u2019s like to have pain every day, is one of the central elements of group psychotherapy in chronic pain. So we were wondering how that would translate into a virtual format, being able to see people only through a screen. We\u2019re doing a qualitative research study around this. And while it\u2019s very preliminary, so far it appears that the screen is not a barrier for them to create bonds between one another.\u201d<\/p>\n

Because of the nature of the work, however, many of Dr. Pag\u00e9\u2019s clients either don\u2019t have access to computers, phones, or tablets \u2013 or are unable to use them. For this reason, the clinic has moved to a more hybrid form of care. Group sessions and many individual meetings are still conducted online, but for those who are unable, or uncomfortable doing so, the clinic remains open for in-person masked and distanced visits. While it`s great to be able to offer this service, it`s quite a challenge to demonstrate presence and empathy during therapy through a mask and face shield!<\/p>\n

This means Dr. Pag\u00e9 still goes into the hospital, in one of Canada\u2019s COVID hotspots. She gets screened for symptoms at the door goes through the protocols every time and then she goes home to an 8-year-old who is, at the time of this writing, doing virtual schooling, and a 4-year-old boy going to daycare.<\/p>\n

It can be a demanding situation. Thankfully, Dr. Pag\u00e9 does not experience chronic pain herself. But she is doing everything she can to collect data and get the message out. It\u2019s stressful to have pain. And it`s painful to be stressed. There is a vicious cycle there, and one that is under-recognized in the overall health care system. A system that is starting to realize, more than ever before, where all those gaps lie.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n <\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

<\/a><\/p>\n
Gabrielle Pag\u00e9<\/strong>
\n\tDr. Gabrielle Pag\u00e9 works with people experiencing chronic pain. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she and her team have had to pivot to a number of different forms of care. They have discovered some expected results among those suffering from chronic pain, but also some real surprises.<\/div>\n
\r\n
\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n
\r\n \r\n
\r\n \r\n <\/i><\/span>\r\n <\/i><\/span>\r\n <\/span>\r\n About Gabrielle Pag\u00e9<\/span>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
\r\n

Gabrielle Pag\u00e9<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cChronic pain has always been one of the more neglected areas within the health care system. Within the context of the pandemic, we didn\u2019t expect that to improve \u2013 rather, the opposite.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Gabrielle Pag\u00e9 is an assistant professor in the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine at the Universit\u00e9 de Montr\u00e9al. She is also a clinical psychologist working out of the Montreal General Hospital specializing in chronic pain conditions. When COVID-19 struck, Dr. Pag\u00e9 and her team decided now was the time to move more toward an advocacy role, to inform the public about chronic pain, and to make this a larger part of the overall health care discussion.<\/p>\n

They began by launching a Canada-wide survey of people experiencing chronic pain, and found out that over the first few weeks of the pandemic and the lockdown, 2\/3 of them reported that their pain was getting worse. This was in April-May, right as the first wave was rising across all provinces. The idea that most people\u2019s chronic pain would get worse at this time was an expected result given the magnified difficulties to access pain treatment, increased stress and social isolation.<\/p>\n

What was less expected \u2013 and almost shocking for Dr. Pag\u00e9 and her team \u2013 was that a small group, 5-10% of respondents, actually reported that their pain had been lessened<\/em> during this time.<\/p>\n

Stress is a big predictor of the severity of chronic pain. When patients are stressed out, they experience more pain \u2013 more pain leads to more stress, which leads to\u2026well, you get the idea. So it was very surprising that such a large number of people reported an improvement. Maybe they were going for walks, taking the time to connect with family members, or were laid off from a job that had been causing the bulk of their stress. Dr. Pag\u00e9 can\u2019t say what the cause is, or was, but she is determined to find out.<\/p>\n

As I\u2019m speaking with Dr. Pag\u00e9, her team is wrapping up a follow-up study to the one they conducted in May. Will the outcomes be similar, or will something new present itself? They should know soon enough. Also, as we\u2019re speaking, Montreal is entering Day One of the big winter lockdown. Curfews in place, all non-essential businesses closed, and the multidisciplinary pain clinic in the Montreal General Hospital is deciding how to move forward.<\/p>\n

Dr. Pag\u00e9\u2019s clients, for the most part, have been receptive to virtual therapy. Even the group therapy programs which were a concern seem to have adapted well.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe social bond, the connection that they make and just being around other people who get what it\u2019s like to have pain every day, is one of the central elements of group psychotherapy in chronic pain. So we were wondering how that would translate into a virtual format, being able to see people only through a screen. We\u2019re doing a qualitative research study around this. And while it\u2019s very preliminary, so far it appears that the screen is not a barrier for them to create bonds between one another.\u201d<\/p>\n

Because of the nature of the work, however, many of Dr. Pag\u00e9\u2019s clients either don\u2019t have access to computers, phones, or tablets \u2013 or are unable to use them. For this reason, the clinic has moved to a more hybrid form of care. Group sessions and many individual meetings are still conducted online, but for those who are unable, or uncomfortable doing so, the clinic remains open for in-person masked and distanced visits. While it`s great to be able to offer this service, it`s quite a challenge to demonstrate presence and empathy during therapy through a mask and face shield!<\/p>\n

This means Dr. Pag\u00e9 still goes into the hospital, in one of Canada\u2019s COVID hotspots. She gets screened for symptoms at the door goes through the protocols every time and then she goes home to an 8-year-old who is, at the time of this writing, doing virtual schooling, and a 4-year-old boy going to daycare.<\/p>\n

It can be a demanding situation. Thankfully, Dr. Pag\u00e9 does not experience chronic pain herself. But she is doing everything she can to collect data and get the message out. It\u2019s stressful to have pain. And it`s painful to be stressed. There is a vicious cycle there, and one that is under-recognized in the overall health care system. A system that is starting to realize, more than ever before, where all those gaps lie.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n <\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[138,176],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19604","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-psychprofilesfr","category-psychmonth2021fr"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-06-04 07:28:33","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cpa.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19604","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cpa.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cpa.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cpa.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cpa.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19604"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/cpa.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19604\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19905,"href":"https:\/\/cpa.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19604\/revisions\/19905"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cpa.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19604"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cpa.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19604"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cpa.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19604"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}