Coping strategies and laboratory pain in children with sickle cell disease

Abstract

Studies have found that coping strategies are significant predictors of pain report, health care use, and psychosocial adjustment in children with sickle cell disease (SCD); however, the mechanisms of the relationship are not clear. In this study, 41 children with SCD completed a laboratory pain task to analyze their pain perception under standardized conditions. Sensory decision theory analyses were used to analyze the pain perception data. Children and their parents also completed measures of coping strategies and adjustment. Hierarchical regression analyses controlling for the child's age indicated that children who reported using active cognitive and behavioral coping strategies had a lower tendency to report pain during the laboratory pain task. Results are discussed in terms of the utility of using laboratory pain models with children and the need for future intervention studies to target coping strategies in children with SCD pain.

Coping Predictors of Children’s Laboratory-Induced Pain Tolerance, Intensity, and Unpleasantness

“…A comparable device has been used in healthy and clinical pediatric samples (ages 5-17 years) without adverse effects. 7 Participants were instructed as follow: "During this task you will experience pressure on your finger. When I ask you to, you will place either your index or middle finger and the location onto this flat surface and I will lower this point onto your finger.…”

The Assessment of Pain Coping and Pain-Related Cognitions in Children and Adolescents: Current Methods and Further Development

“…27,46 For example, in children, approach-oriented coping strategies such as positive self-statements, problem-solving or distraction have been related to reduced pain intensity and reduced functional disability, thus suggesting their usefulness for understanding chronic pediatric pain. 11,13,33,41,49 Moreover, catastrophizing is rather consistently found to be positively related to pain intensity, pain-related emotional distress and functional disability both in adults 46 and children. 6,9,28,40,41,56 To be able to specifically assess pain-related catastrophizing, a Dutch child version 5 of the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS-C) 47 has been developed and psychometrically evaluated.…”

“…(1) CSQ-C SCD version: 13 scales (80 items) -7 CSQ scales [(1) diverting attention, (2) reinterpretation, (3) ignoring, (4) coping self-statements, (5) praying/hoping, (6) catastrophizing, (7) increase activity] and 6 newly added scales (8) fear selfstatements, (9) anger self-statements, (10) isolation, (11) taking fluids, (12) resting, (13) heat/cold/massage; 3 higher-order factors (84% accounted variance) -coping attempts, negative thinking, passive adherence (not consistent with adult version) (2) CSQ-C general version: 7 original CSQ subscales (42 items) taken from SCD-version; 2 higher order factors (coping attempts, pain control/rational thinking) analogous to adult CSQ, but not empirically confirmed cal correlates. In contrast to CSQ-C and PPCI, both PCQ and PRI were extensively tested for psychometric quality including factorial and construct validity (Table 1).…”

Relationship Between Resting Blood Pressure and Laboratory-Induced Pain Among Healthy Children

“…A similar device was used in healthy and clinical pediatric samples (aged 5–17 years) without adverse effects. 38,39 …”