Virtual psychoeducation for improvement of pain catastrophizing in pediatric presurgical patients and caregivers: a proof-of-concept study.

PURPOSE: Pain catastrophizing (PC) is the tendency to magnify the threat value of pain sensations and is associated with greater postsurgical pain intensity, functional disability, and pain chronicity. Higher parental PC predicts higher chronic postsurgical pain in youth. Treating PC in caregivers and youth prior to surgery may improve recovery and surgical outcomes. We developed and evaluated a psychoeducational workshop addressing PC for presurgical youth and their parents/caregivers. We hypothesized that parent/caregiver and youth PC scores would decrease over time. We also explored preintervention levels of youth anxiety and depression as moderators of outcome. METHODS: Youth (n = 43) and caregivers (n = 41) attended a virtual, group-based single-session intervention (SSI). Single-session intervention content addressed pain neuroscience, PC, and adaptive coping strategies for managing pain and PC drawn from cognitive-behavioural, acceptance and commitment, and dialectical behaviour therapy approaches. Participants completed questionnaires assessing PC at preintervention, postintervention, and two weeks postsurgery. Youth mood and anxiety were assessed at preintervention. RESULTS: Caregiver PC scores decreased from pre- to postintervention (P = 0.006), and this was maintained at postsurgery (P = 0.002). Youth PC scores decreased from preintervention to postsurgery, but only for those with higher preintervention anxiety (P = 0.01). CONCLUSION: Our results provide proof-of-concept support for a virtual SSI targeting caregivers and youth PC during the perioperative period. The present findings highlight the possible need to screen presurgical candidates for symptoms of anxiety. Replication with larger and more diverse samples, and a more robust design are warranted.

RéSUMé: OBJECTIF: Le terme de dramatisation de la douleur décrit la tendance à amplifier la valeur de menace des sensations de douleur et est associée à une plus grande intensité de la douleur postopératoire, à une incapacité fonctionnelle et à une chronicité de la douleur. Une dramatisation parentale plus élevée de la douleur prédit une douleur postopératoire chronique plus élevée chez les jeunes. Le traitement de la dramatisation de la douleur chez les soignant·es et les jeunes avant la chirurgie peut améliorer le rétablissement et les devenirs chirurgicaux. Nous avons mis au point et évalué un atelier psychoéducatif sur la dramatisation de la douleur destiné aux jeunes en période préchirurgicale et à leurs parents/soignant·es. Nous avons émis l'hypothèse que les scores de dramatisation de la douleur des parents/soignant·es et des jeunes diminueraient avec le temps. Nous avons également exploré les niveaux d'anxiété et de dépression des jeunes avant l'intervention en tant qu'éléments modérateurs des résultats. MéTHODE: Des jeunes (n = 43) et les personnes en prenant soin (n = 41) ont participé à une seule intervention virtuelle en groupe. Le contenu de l'intervention unique portait sur les neurosciences de la douleur, la dramatisation de la douleur et les stratégies d'adaptation pour la prise en charge de la douleur et la dramatisation de la douleur tirées des approches cognitivo-comportementales, d'acceptation et d'engagement, et de thérapie comportementale dialectique. Les participant·es ont rempli des questionnaires évaluant la dramatisation de la douleur avant l'intervention, après l'intervention et deux semaines après la chirurgie. L'humeur et l'anxiété des jeunes ont été évaluées avant l'intervention. RéSULTATS: Les scores de dramatisation de la douleur des soignant·es ont diminué de la période précédant à la période suivant l'intervention (P = 0,006), et cela s'est maintenu après la chirurgie (P = 0,002). Les scores de dramatisation de la douleur des jeunes ont diminué de la période précédant l'intervention à la période postchirurgie, mais seulement chez les jeunes présentant une anxiété pré-intervention plus élevée (P = 0,01). CONCLUSION: Nos résultats appuient la preuve de concept pour une intervention virtuelle unique ciblant la dramatisation de la douleur chez les soignant·es et les jeunes en période périopératoire. Ces résultats soulignent la nécessité potentielle de dépister les symptômes d'anxiété chez les candidat·es avant la chirurgie. La réplication avec des échantillons plus grands et plus diversifiés et une conception plus robuste est justifiée.

Traumatic Stress, Attachment Style, and Health Outcomes in Cardiac Rehabilitation Patients.

OBJECTIVE: Research on psychosocial risk factors in cardiovascular disease (CVD) has identified traumatic stress and attachment style as independent risk factors for the development of CVD and poor prognosis for those with established CVD. Exploring the interrelationships between these variables will inform psychosocial risk factor modeling and potential avenues for intervention. Therefore, the hypothesis that attachment style is related to health outcomes among CR patients and that traumatic stress mediates this relationship was tested. METHODS: Patients in a cardiac rehabilitation program (n = 201) completed validated self-report measures of traumatic stress and attachment style at baseline (program intake). Health outcomes were assessed at baseline and 3 months, including anxiety, depression, quality of life, fasting blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and cholesterol (HDL ratio). Multivariate structural equation modeling was used to fit the data. RESULTS: Of the 201 participants, 42 (21%) had trauma scores indicating the probable presence of posttraumatic stress disorder. Via greater levels of traumatic stress, greater attachment anxiety at baseline was indirectly related to greater anxiety, depression, fasting blood glucose, and HbA1c, and poorer physical and mental quality of life. There were no significant indirect effects on HDL ratios. CONCLUSION: Greater attachment anxiety predicted greater traumatic stress; this, in turn, predicted poorer health outcomes. Screening and treatment for these constructs in CVD patients is warranted.

Attachment insecurity mediates the relationship between childhood trauma and eating disorder psychopathology in a clinical sample: a structural equation model.

OBJECTIVES: Childhood maltreatment occurs often among those with an eating disorder and is considered a nonspecific risk factor. However, the mechanisms by which childhood maltreatment may lead to an eating disorder are not well understood. The current study tests a model in which attachment insecurity is hypothesized to mediate the relationship between childhood maltreatment and eating disorder psychopathology. METHOD: Treatment seeking adults with eating disorders (N=308) completed questionnaires about childhood maltreatment, eating disorder psychopathology, and adult attachment. RESULTS: Structural equation models indicated that childhood trauma had a direct effect on eating disorder symptoms. Also, attachment anxiety and avoidance each equally mediated the childhood maltreatment to eating disorder psychopathology relationship. CONCLUSIONS: Attachment insecurity, characterized by affect dysregulation and interpersonal sensitivities may help to explain why eating disorder symptoms may be one consequence of childhood maltreatment in a clinical sample. Clinicians treating primarily those with trauma might assess for disordered eating as a potential manifestation of the sequelae of trauma and attachment insecurity.