Changes in parent and child pain sensitivity over the course of pediatric pain rehabilitation treatment

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: This study compared mother, father, and child self-reported pain sensitivity and psychosocial functioning during an intensive pediatric pain rehabilitation treatment. METHODS: Twenty children with chronic pain and their parents were enrolled in an intensive pediatric pain rehabilitation center and completed measures of pain sensitivity, fear of pain, pain catastrophizing, functional disability, and current and usual pain ratings at admission and discharge. RESULTS: Bivariate correlations and one-way ANOVAs were used. Pain sensitivity and psychosocial variables for mother, father, and child decreased from admission to discharge. There was no correlation between pain sensitivity and psychosocial variables and no significant main effect for time. CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate a need for a larger sample to further explore the relationship between these variables.