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Coping strategies and laboratory pain in children with sickle cell disease
K M Gil1, J L Edens, J J Wilson
1Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 27599-3270, USA.
Insights
Children with sickle cell disease (SCD) using active coping strategies reported less pain. Future interventions should focus on these coping mechanisms for managing SCD pain.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Pain Management
- Hematology
- Psychology
Background:
- Coping strategies influence pain, healthcare use, and adjustment in children with sickle cell disease (SCD).
- The precise mechanisms linking coping strategies to pain perception in pediatric SCD remain unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between coping strategies and pain perception in children with SCD using a laboratory pain task.
- To explore the utility of laboratory pain models for assessing pain in pediatric SCD.
Main Methods:
- 41 children with SCD underwent a standardized laboratory pain task.
- Sensory decision theory and hierarchical regression analyses were employed.
- Coping strategies and adjustment were assessed via parent and child self-report measures.
Main Results:
- Active cognitive and behavioral coping strategies were associated with a reduced tendency to report pain.
- Age was controlled for in the hierarchical regression analyses.
- The findings highlight the role of active coping in modulating pain perception.
Conclusions:
- Active coping strategies can mitigate pain reporting in children with SCD.
- Laboratory pain models are valuable tools for studying pediatric SCD pain.
- Intervention studies should target the enhancement of coping strategies for SCD pain management.
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.