Parent perceptions of the impact of chronic pain in children and adolescents

In this exploratory study we describe the impact of chronic pain in children and adolescents. Information was gathered from the parents of 43 children (ages 7 to 16 years) referred for psychological management of chronic pain in a tertiary care setting. Parents completed a questionnaire about their child's experience of pain over the past year, its impact on child and family day-to-day activities, and treatments sought. Their responses depict clinically significant levels of pain and associated disability, requiring multiple contacts with health care providers. Although these data are preliminary, they suggest that complex pain problems in children and adolescents can be associated with both personal costs to families and economic costs to the health care system. There is a compelling need for effective treatments for children and adolescents with chronic pain that specifically target prevention or reduction of disability.