Chronic pain negatively affects children's outcomes on the English Standardised Assessment Tests (SAT)

Chronic pain is believed to have substantial negative effects on children's school outcomes. However, there is currently no research regarding the impact of chronic pain on children in England. Educational differences between countries may mean the impact of chronic pain cannot be generalised between countries, indicating the need for a study in England exploring this relationship. The current cross-sectional study collected scores for Standardised Assessment Tests (SAT), attendance rates, and mental health data from 148 parents of children with and without chronic pain aged 11-14 years via an online survey. Results show children with chronic pain scored lower on the SATs, had higher absence rates, and poorer mental health than children without chronic pain after controlling for gender, SES and SEND. These findings have implications for the education system in how to support children with chronic pain to achieve their educational potential.