A cognitive-behavioural program for adolescents with chronic pain—a pilot study

Abstract

The purpose of this pilot study is to evaluate the feasibility of a cognitive-behavioural training program for adolescents with chronic pain irrespective of pain localisation. A secondary aim was to give an impression of the effect of the program on pain and quality of life. Eight adolescents (14-18 years) with chronic non-organic pain recruited from the general population (and their parents) participated in this pilot study. The intervention included five group meetings alternated with four telephone contacts (during the self-management weeks) over a period of 9 weeks. The training aimed to change pain behaviour through pain education, relaxation strategies, problem-solving techniques, assertiveness training, cognitive restructuring and by stimulating the adolescent's physical activity level. The training further addresses the social context of pain by inviting parents to attend two meetings for the parents only, and by asking the adolescents to bring a peer to one of the meetings. Adolescents and their parents were positive about the program. Adolescents felt they were more in control of their pain and parents valued the support they experienced in helping their children to master the pain. The training was considered to be feasible in daily life. Further, the preliminary data showed an effect on pain and quality of life in the expected direction. The results underline the need for a definitive study with a larger sample size and a random controlled design.

Psychological therapies (remotely delivered) for the management of chronic and recurrent pain in children and adolescents

“…A second paper, Long 2009, evaluated the usability of an online study already included in the review (Palermo 2009). We excluded a further two studies as they included fewer than 10 participants in at least one arm of the trial at an extraction time point (Merlijn 2005; Trautmann 2008). …”

Psychological factors are associated with subjective cognitive complaints 2 months post-stroke

“…Several interventions, such as problem solving therapy, are aimed at changing maladaptive coping styles. These interventions proved to be effective in patients with traumatic brain injury (Backhaus, Ibarra, Klyce, Trexler, & Malec, 2010), chronic pain (Merlijn et al, 2005) and breast cancer (Hopko et al, 2011), and is currently being investigated in stroke patients (Tielemans et al, 2014). Recognising coping styles and intervening on dysfunctional coping styles may eventually result in better personalised stroke care, hopefully leading to a decrease in cognitive complaints.…”

A Unified, Transdiagnostic Treatment for Adolescents With Chronic Pain and Comorbid Anxiety and Depression

“…Despite these encouraging data on the efficacy of psychological interventions for pain, there are still a number of patients who remain impaired following treatment or who do not improve at all (Eccleston, Morley, Williams, Yorke, & Mastroyannopoulou, 2002; Merlijn et al, 2005). Eccleston and colleagues (2002) note that the major limitations of available studies to this point have focused on pain relief as the primary outcome variable, when there are other critical factors that may be necessary to address.…”