Related Experiment Videos
Psychosocial factors in children with idiopathic musculoskeletal pain: a prospective, longitudinal study
A Aasland1, B Flatö, I H Vandvik
1The National Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
Insights
Psychosocial factors significantly influence childhood idiopathic musculoskeletal pain (IMP). School stress, family difficulties, and psychiatric diagnoses are linked to IMP development and persistence in children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Rheumatology
- Child Psychology
- Pain Management
Background:
- Idiopathic musculoskeletal pain (IMP) in children is a significant clinical challenge.
- The role of psychosocial factors in IMP development and persistence requires further investigation.
- Understanding these factors is crucial for effective intervention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between psychosocial factors and the development and persistence of idiopathic musculoskeletal pain (IMP) in children.
- To compare psychosocial functioning in children with IMP versus juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA).
Main Methods:
- A longitudinal study comparing 23 children with IMP and 52 with JCA.
- Semistructured interviews were conducted at initial hospital admission and a 9-year follow-up.
- Psychiatric diagnoses, pain models, school stress, family structure, and socioeconomic factors were assessed.
Main Results:
- Children with IMP showed higher rates of psychiatric diagnoses, pain models, and school stress at initial assessment.
- At follow-up, IMP patients had more psychiatric diagnoses, chronic family difficulties, and life events than JCA patients.
- Persistence of IMP was associated with pain models, school stress, lower parental education, and family difficulties at baseline.
Conclusions:
- Psychosocial factors are strongly associated with the development and persistence of childhood idiopathic musculoskeletal pain.
- IMP in children may be influenced by a complex interplay of psychological, social, and familial factors.
- Targeting psychosocial interventions could be beneficial for managing childhood IMP.
Abstract:
To explore the role of psychosocial factors in the development and persistence of idiopathic musculoskeletal pain (IMP) in children, 23 children with IMP and 52 children with juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA) were compared at first admission to hospital and at 9 y follow-up. Semistructured interviews were performed at both assessments. At first admission, the prevalence of psychiatric diagnoses was high both in patients with IMP and patients with JCA, but patients with IMP more often had pain models, reported more school stress and more often lived with one biological parent. At follow-up, overall psychosocial functioning and level of chronic family difficulties were improved in both groups, but patients with IMP had a higher prevalence of psychiatric diagnoses and more chronic family difficulties and life events than patients with JCA. The persistence of IMP at follow-up was related to pain models, school stress, less parental education and more chronic family difficulties at first admission. Findings support the association between psychosocial factors and childhood IMP.