Longitudinal Impact of Parent Factors in Adolescents With Migraine and Tension-Type Headache.

OBJECTIVE: To examine longitudinal associations between parent factors (parent headache frequency and disability, protective parenting behaviors, parent catastrophizing) with adolescent headache-related disability and headache frequency over 6 months. BACKGROUND: Theoretical models propose bidirectional, longitudinal relationships between parent factors and adolescent headache. Few studies have examined this using prospective study designs. DESIGN AND METHODS: Participants were a cohort of 239 youth ages 11-17 years with recurrent migraine (with and without aura; chronic migraine) or tension-type headache (episodic and chronic) and their parents recruited from a pediatric neurology clinic and the community who completed assessments at baseline and 6-month follow-up. RESULTS: After controlling for demographic and clinical covariates, we found that every point increase in baseline protective parenting behavior corresponded with a 2.19-point increase in adolescent headache frequency at follow-up (P = .026, 95% CI [0.27, 4.10]). Similarly, every point increase in baseline parent catastrophizing corresponded with a 0.93-point increase in adolescent headache-related disability (P = .029, 95% CI [0.09, 1.77]) and a .13-point increase in adolescent headache frequency (P = .042, 95% CI [0.01, 0.25]) at follow-up. We also found support for the reverse association, where every point increase in baseline adolescent headache-related disability predicted a 0.03-point increase in parent catastrophizing (P = .016, 95% CI [0.01, 0.05]) and a 0.02-point increase in protective parenting behavior (P = .009, 95% CI [0.01, 0.03]) at follow-up. The remaining bidirectional, longitudinal associations tested between parent factors and adolescent headache were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Findings suggest that family-based psychological interventions targeting modifiable adolescent and parent factors may lead to improvements in adolescent headache-related disability and reductions in adolescent headache frequency.

Development and Validation of the Adolescent Insomnia Questionnaire.

OBJECTIVE: Insomnia is a highly prevalent sleep disorder that is particularly common among adolescents with health conditions. We aimed to develop and validate a brief screening measure of insomnia in adolescents that can be used across clinical and community samples. We hypothesized that we would identify evidence supporting reliability, convergent/discriminant validity, and that we would determine preliminary clinical cutoff scores. METHODS: A team of experts in behavioral sleep medicine developed a 13-item brief screening measure of insomnia in adolescents (Adolescent Insomnia Questionnaire [AIQ]). We evaluated the psychometric properties of the AIQ in a sample of 315 youth (11-18 years old, Mean = 14.90, SD = 2.02; 64% female) who had chronic pain (n = 37), headache (n = 170), insomnia diagnosed by a sleep specialist (n = 22), or were otherwise healthy (n = 86). RESULTS: Using Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis, we identified three subscales consistent with major diagnostic criteria of insomnia. As expected, the measure showed strong reliability through high internal consistency (α =.91). We also found strong convergent validity through expected positive relationships between the AIQ and self-report measures of sleep disturbance, and divergent validity via weak relationships with parent-report of snoring. Results of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) identified a clinical cutoff score that may assist in clinical decision making. CONCLUSIONS: We found that the AIQ has sound psychometric properties in a large heterogeneous sample of treatment-seeking youth and youth from the community. The AIQ can quickly screen adolescent insomnia and could address an important clinical need in identifying youth in need of insomnia treatment in pediatric practice settings.

Economic Impact of Headache and Psychiatric Comorbidities on Healthcare Expenditures Among Children in the United States: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the annual healthcare expenditures associated with childhood headache in the United States, and to evaluate whether psychiatric comorbidities increase the impact of headache on expenditures. BACKGROUND: Headache is prevalent in childhood and co-occurs with anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which may increase cost of illness. METHODS: We conducted a secondary data analysis using a nationally representative sample of 34,633 children ages 2-17 from the 2012-2015 Medical Expenditure Panel Surveys (MEPS), of which 779 (weighted 2.6%) were identified as having headache based on health service use associated with headache. Using a comprehensive cost-of-illness approach, we assessed the incremental expenditures associated with headache and determined excess expenditures associated with psychiatric comorbidities using standard adjusted 2-part expenditure models. RESULTS: Annual total healthcare expenditures were estimated to be 24.3% higher, 95% CI [1,55], in our headache group ($3036, 95% CI [2374,3699] vs $2350, 95% CI [2140,2559]). Total national expenditures associated with pediatric headache in the United States were estimated at $1.1 billion annually, 95% CI [.04, 2.2 billion]. Depression and ADHD were associated with higher incremental expenditures for the headache group (depression: $1815, 95% CI[676,2953] vs $1409, 95% CI[697,2112]; ADHD: $4742, 95% CI[1659,7825] vs $2935, 95% CI[1977,3894]); however, interactions between psychiatric comorbidities and headache did not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSION: Youth with headache exert a considerable economic burden on families, healthcare systems, and society. Due to the limitations in methods used to classify youth with headache in MEPS, our findings may underestimate the true prevalence and cost of pediatric headache in the United States. Further research with larger sample sizes is needed to understand the impact of psychiatric comorbidities on healthcare expenditures in this population.

Screening Family and Psychosocial Risk in Pediatric Migraine and Tension-Type Headache: Validation of the Psychosocial Assessment Tool (PAT).

OBJECTIVE: To present data on psychometric properties of the Psychosocial Assessment Tool 2.0_General (PAT), a brief screener for psychosocial risk in families of youth with medical conditions, in youth with headache. BACKGROUND: Emotional and behavioral disturbances, parent distress, and poor family functioning are common among youth with recurrent migraine and tension-type headache; however, tools to comprehensively screen family and psychosocial risk in youth with headache are not currently available. The PAT could address an important gap by facilitating identification of psychosocial treatment needs among youth with headache. DESIGN AND METHODS: Youth with recurrent migraine (with and without aura; chronic migraine) or tension-type headache (episodic and chronic) completed the PAT and validated measures of adolescent emotional and behavioral functioning, parent emotional functioning, and family functioning at baseline (n = 239; 157 from neurology clinic, 82 from the community) and 6-month follow-up (n = 221; 146 from neurology clinic, 75 from the community). RESULTS: Internal consistency for the PAT Total score was strong (α = .88). At baseline, the PAT Total score was significantly associated in the expected direction with established measures of child emotional and behavioral functioning (r = .62), parent anxiety and depressive symptoms (r = .49; r = .53, respectively), and family functioning (r = .21). Predictive validity was demonstrated by a significant association between PAT Total scores at baseline with child emotional and behavioral functioning (r = .64), parent anxiety (r = .37), parent depression (r = .42), and family functioning (r = .26) at 6-month follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The PAT is a promising tool for screening psychosocial risk that could facilitate identification of psychosocial treatment needs among youth with recurrent headache at risk for poor outcomes.

Understanding User Experience: Exploring Participants' Messages With a Web-Based Behavioral Health Intervention for Adolescents With Chronic Pain.

BACKGROUND: Delivery of behavioral health interventions on the internet offers many benefits, including accessibility, cost-effectiveness, convenience, and anonymity. In recent years, an increased number of internet interventions have been developed, targeting a range of conditions and behaviors, including depression, pain, anxiety, sleep disturbance, and eating disorders. Human support (coaching) is a common component of internet interventions that is intended to boost engagement; however, little is known about how participants interact with coaches and how this may relate to their experience with the intervention. By examining the data that participants produce during an intervention, we can characterize their interaction patterns and refine treatments to address different needs. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we employed text mining and visual analytics techniques to analyze messages exchanged between coaches and participants in an internet-delivered pain management intervention for adolescents with chronic pain and their parents. METHODS: We explored the main themes in coaches' and participants' messages using an automated textual analysis method, topic modeling. We then clustered participants' messages to identify subgroups of participants with similar engagement patterns. RESULTS: First, we performed topic modeling on coaches' messages. The themes in coaches' messages fell into 3 categories: Treatment Content, Administrative and Technical, and Rapport Building. Next, we employed topic modeling to identify topics from participants' message histories. Similar to the coaches' topics, these were subsumed under 3 high-level categories: Health Management and Treatment Content, Questions and Concerns, and Activities and Interests. Finally, the cluster analysis identified 4 clusters, each with a distinguishing characteristic: Assignment-Focused, Short Message Histories, Pain-Focused, and Activity-Focused. The name of each cluster exemplifies the main engagement patterns of that cluster. CONCLUSIONS: In this secondary data analysis, we demonstrated how automated text analysis techniques could be used to identify messages of interest, such as questions and concerns from users. In addition, we demonstrated how cluster analysis could be used to identify subgroups of individuals who share communication and engagement patterns, and in turn facilitate personalization of interventions for different subgroups of patients. This work makes 2 key methodological contributions. First, this study is innovative in its use of topic modeling to provide a rich characterization of the textual content produced by coaches and participants in an internet-delivered behavioral health intervention. Second, to our knowledge, this is the first example of the use of a visual analysis method to cluster participants and identify similar patterns of behavior based on intervention message content.

Hybrid Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Intervention for Adolescents With Co-Occurring Migraine and Insomnia: A Single-Arm Pilot Trial.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate feasibility and acceptability of a hybrid cognitive-behavioral therapy intervention for adolescents with co-occurring migraine and insomnia. BACKGROUND: Many youth with chronic migraine have co-occurring insomnia. Little research has been conducted to evaluate behavioral treatments for insomnia in youth with migraine. DESIGN AND METHODS: We conducted a single-arm pilot trial to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of delivering cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia to 21 youth (mean age 15.5, standard deviation 1.6) with co-occurring chronic migraine and insomnia. Adolescents completed up to 6 individual treatment sessions over 6 to 12 weeks, and 1 booster session 1 month later. Assessments included a prospective 7-day headache and sleep diary, and self-report measures of insomnia, sleep quality, sleep habits, and activity limitations at pre-treatment, immediate post-treatment, and 3-month follow-up. RESULTS: Adolescents demonstrated good treatment adherence and families rated the intervention as highly acceptable. Preliminary analyses indicated improvements from pre-treatment to post-treatment in primary outcomes of headache days (M = 4.7, SD = 2.1 vs M = 2.8, SD = 2.7) and insomnia symptoms (M = 16.9, SD = 5.2 vs M = 9.5, SD = 6.2), which were maintained at 3-month follow-up (M = 2.7, SD = 2.8; M = 9.3, SD = 5.0, respectively). We also found improvements in secondary outcomes of pain-related activity limitations as well as sleep quality, sleep hygiene, and sleep patterns. CONCLUSIONS: These preliminary data indicate that hybrid cognitive-behavioral therapy is feasible and acceptable for youth with co-occurring chronic migraine and insomnia. Future randomized controlled trials are needed to test treatment efficacy on migraine, sleep, and functional outcomes. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03137147.

A Single-Arm Feasibility Trial of Problem-Solving Skills Training for Parents of Children with Idiopathic Chronic Pain Conditions Receiving Intensive Pain Rehabilitation.

Objective: To adapt problem-solving skills training (PSST) for parents of children receiving intensive pain rehabilitation and evaluate treatment feasibility, acceptability, and satisfaction. Methods: Using a prospective single-arm case series design, we evaluated the feasibility of delivering PSST to 26 parents (84.6% female) from one of three pediatric pain rehabilitation programs. Results: Parents completed four to six sessions of PSST delivered during a 2-4-week period. A mixed-methods approach was used to assess treatment acceptability and satisfaction. We also assessed changes in parent mental health and behavior outcomes from pretreatment to immediate posttreatment and 3-month follow-up. Parents demonstrated excellent treatment adherence and rated the intervention as highly acceptable and satisfactory. Preliminary analyses indicated improvements in domains of mental health, parenting behaviors, health status, and problem-solving skills. Conclusions: Findings demonstrate the potential role of psychological interventions directed at reducing parent distress in the context of intensive pediatric pain rehabilitation.

Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of Internet-Delivered Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment for Pediatric Headache.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of an Internet-delivered cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) intervention for adolescents with chronic headache. BACKGROUND: Headache is among the most common pain complaints of childhood. Cognitive-behavioral interventions are efficacious for improving pain among youth with headache. However, many youth do not receive psychological treatment for headache due to poor access, which has led to consideration of alternative delivery modalities such as the Internet. METHODS: We used a parallel arm randomized controlled trial design to evaluate the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of an Internet-delivered family-based CBT intervention, Web-based management of adolescent pain. Adolescents were eligible for the trial if they were a new patient being evaluated in a specialized headache clinic, between 11 and 17 years of age, and had recurrent headache for 3 months or more as diagnosed by a pediatric neurologist. Eighty-three youths were enrolled in the trial. An online random number generator was used to randomly assign participants to receive Internet CBT adjunctive to specialized headache treatment (n = 44) or specialized headache treatment alone (n = 39). The primary treatment outcome was headache days. RESULTS: Youth and parents in the Internet CBT group demonstrated high levels of engagement with the web program and reported satisfaction with the intervention. Multilevel modelling (MLM) was used to conduct hypothesis testing for continuous outcomes. For our primary treatment outcome of headache days, adolescents reported a statistically significant reduction in headache days from baseline to post-treatment and baseline to 3-month follow-up in both treatment conditions (main effect for time F(2, 136) = 19.70, P < .001). However, there was no statistically significant difference between the Internet CBT group and the specialized headache treatment group at post-treatment or follow-up (group × time interaction F(2, 134) = 0.94, P = .395). For our secondary treatment outcomes, findings from MLM showed that adolescents in both groups demonstrated statistically significant improvement headache pain intensity, activity limitations, depressive symptoms, and parent protective behaviors from baseline to post-treatment and these gains were maintained at 3-month follow-up. Adolescent anxiety symptoms and sleep did not change during the study period for either group. There were no statistically significant group differences on any secondary outcomes at post-treatment or follow-up (P > .05 for all outcomes). No adverse events were reported. CONCLUSION: Although adjunctive Internet CBT did not lead to additional benefit in this population, future research should evaluate whether it is an effective intervention for adolescents with headache who are unable to access specialized headache treatment.

Alcohol and tobacco use in youth with and without chronic pain.

OBJECTIVE: To compare rates of alcohol and tobacco use in youth with and without chronic pain and to identify risk factors for use. METHODS: Participants included 186 youth (95 mixed chronic pain; 91 without chronic pain; 12-18 years old) who reported current alcohol and tobacco use, pain intensity, activity limitations, loneliness, and depressive symptoms. RESULTS: Adolescents with chronic pain were less likely to use alcohol compared with adolescents without chronic pain (7.4% vs. 22%), and as likely to use tobacco (9% vs. 8%). Across groups, youth with higher depressive symptoms, less loneliness, and fewer activity limitations were more likely to endorse alcohol and tobacco use. Exploratory analyses revealed that risk factors for substance use differed among youth with and without chronic pain. CONCLUSIONS: Chronic pain may not increase risk for tobacco and alcohol use in adolescents. Research is needed to understand use of other substances in this medically vulnerable population.

Parenting and independent problem-solving in preschool children with food allergy.

OBJECTIVE: To examine autonomy-promoting parenting and independent problem-solving in children with food allergy. METHODS: 66 children with food allergy, aged 3-6 years, and 67 age-matched healthy peers and their mothers were videotaped while completing easy and difficult puzzles. Coders recorded time to puzzle completion, children's direct and indirect requests for help, and maternal help-giving behaviors. RESULTS: Compared with healthy peers, younger (3- to 4-year-old) children with food allergy made more indirect requests for help during the easy puzzle, and their mothers were more likely to provide unnecessary help (i.e., explain where to place a puzzle piece). Differences were not found for older children. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that highly involved parenting practices that are medically necessary to manage food allergy may spill over into settings where high levels of involvement are not needed, and that young children with food allergy may be at increased risk for difficulties in autonomy development.

Sleep outcomes in youth with chronic pain participating in a randomized controlled trial of online cognitive-behavioral therapy for pain management.

Sleep disturbances are commonly reported in youth with chronic pain. We examined whether online cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for pain management would impact youth's sleep. Subjective sleep quality and actigraphic sleep were evaluated in 33 youth (M = 14.8 years; 70% female) with chronic pain participating in a larger randomized controlled trial of online-CBT. The Internet treatment condition (n = 17) received 8-10 weeks of online-CBT + standard care, and the wait-list control condition (n = 16) continued with standard care. Although pain improved with online-CBT, no changes were observed in sleep outcomes. Shorter pretreatment sleep duration was associated with less improvement in posttreatment functioning. Findings underscore the need for further development in psychological therapies to more intensively target sleep loss in youth with chronic pain.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of parent and family-based interventions for children and adolescents with chronic medical conditions.

OBJECTIVE: To quantify the effects of parent- and family-based psychological therapies for youth with common chronic medical conditions on parent and family outcomes (primary aim) and child outcomes (secondary aim). METHODS: MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PsycINFO were searched from inception to April 2013. 37 randomized controlled trials were included. Quality of the evidence was evaluated using GRADE criteria. Data were extracted on parent, family, and child outcomes. RESULTS: Pooled psychological therapies had a positive effect on parent behavior at posttreatment and follow-up; no significant improvement was observed for other outcome domains. Problem-solving therapy (PST) improved parent mental health and parent behavior at posttreatment and follow-up. There was insufficient evidence to evaluate cognitive-behavioral and systems therapies for many outcome domains. CONCLUSIONS: Parent- and family-based psychological therapies can improve parent outcomes, with PST emerging as particularly promising. Future research should incorporate consensus statements for outcomes assessment, multisite recruitment, and active comparator conditions.

Executive Functioning and Self-Management Processes Mediate the Relationship Between Insomnia and Pain-Related Disability.

Insomnia has been identified as a predictor of reduced benefit from cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT) for adolescent chronic pain; however, it is not well understood how insomnia leads to reduced treatment response. The purpose of this study was to evaluate executive function and self-management processes as 2 potential mediators of the relationship between insomnia symptoms and pain-related disability outcomes from internet-delivered CBT using a single-arm clinical trial design. Eighty-five adolescents with chronic pain (77% female, ages 12-17 years) and their caregiver received an 8-week internet-delivered CBT intervention. Youth completed validated measures of insomnia symptoms, executive function, self-management processes, and pain-related disability at baseline, mid-treatment, immediate post-treatment, and 3-month follow-up. Results from multilevel structural equation modeling indicated that more severe insomnia symptoms were associated with greater problems with executive function, which, in turn, led to lower engagement in self-management processes and less improvement in pain-related disability. These findings identify 2 mediators by which higher insomnia symptoms may lead to reduced benefit from CBT intervention for chronic pain. Research is needed to understand whether psychological treatments for chronic pain may be optimized by strategies targeting insomnia, executive function, and/or engagement in self-management. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04043962). PERSPECTIVE: Our study suggests that executive functioning and self-management processes mediate the relationship between insomnia and treatment outcomes for pediatric chronic pain, highlighting the impact of insomnia on youth learning and implementation of self-management strategies and the critical need for targeted sleep interventions in this population.

Intervention for Sleep and Pain in Youth (ISPY-RCT): protocol for a two-phase randomized controlled trial of sequenced cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia and pain management in adolescents with migraine.

BACKGROUND: Migraine is a major pediatric health problem impacting 10-12% of youth. About 1 in 3 youth with migraine are diagnosed with insomnia. Sleep and migraine share a cyclical relationship, and data indicate that insomnia symptoms increase migraine severity. CBT for insomnia (CBT-I) has demonstrated efficacy for improving insomnia in adults with migraine and other pain conditions; however, effects in youth have not been evaluated. Moreover, in adults, there is some indication that CBT-I may lead to changes in pain after there are sustained improvements in sleep, but this has never been empirically tested. Cognitive-behavioral therapy for pain management (CBT-Pain) is an established treatment approach for youth with migraine, leading to reductions in headache frequency and disability. In the proposed study, we will address these gaps in knowledge by using an innovative two-phase trial design to (1) test the efficacy of Internet-delivered CBT-I intervention for youth with migraine and comorbid insomnia compared to Internet-delivered sleep education for modifying sleep and (2) investigate how changes in sleep may modify the response to Internet-delivered CBT-Pain intervention. METHODS: We will study a cohort of 180 adolescents, ages 11-17 years, with migraine (with or without aura, chronic migraine) and comorbid insomnia. In phase 1, youth will be randomly assigned to receive Internet-delivered CBT-I intervention or Internet sleep education control. In phase 2, all youth will receive Internet-delivered CBT-Pain intervention. Assessments will occur at baseline, immediately after phase 1 intervention, immediately after phase 2 intervention, and 6 months post-intervention. We will use a comprehensive multidimensional assessment of sleep and headache including self-report questionnaires, ambulatory actigraphy monitoring, and 14-day daily diaries. DISCUSSION: Given the high prevalence of insomnia in adolescents with migraine, an extension of CBT-I intervention to this population will address an important gap in clinical practice and in conceptual understanding of the relationship between sleep and migraine. By testing a separate CBT-I intervention, we will be able to apply this treatment in the future to other pediatric populations (e.g., cancer, arthritis) who commonly experience comorbid insomnia. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04936321. Registered on June 23, 2021.

Household Food Insufficiency and Chronic Pain among Children in the US: A National Study.

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of pediatric chronic pain by household food sufficiency status and examine whether food insufficiency would be associated with greater risk for chronic pain. We analyzed data from the 2019-2020 National Survey of Children's Health of 48,410 children (6-17 years) in the United States. Across the sample, 26.1% (95% CI: 25.2-27.0) experienced mild food insufficiency and 5.1% (95% CI: 4.6-5.7) moderate/severe food insufficiency. The prevalence of chronic pain was higher among children with mild (13.7%) and moderate/severe food insufficiency (20.6%) relative to children in food-sufficient households (6.7%, p < 0.001). After adjusting for a priori covariates (individual: age, sex, race/ethnicity, anxiety, depression, other health conditions, adverse childhood events; household: poverty, parent education, physical and mental health; community: region of residence), multivariable logistic regression revealed that children with mild food insufficiency had 1.6 times greater odds of having chronic pain (95% CI: 1.4-1.9, p < 0.0001) and those with moderate/severe food insufficiency, 1.9 higher odds (95% CI: 1.4-2.7, p < 0.0001) relative to food-sufficient children. The dose-response relationship between food insufficiency and childhood chronic pain highlights the importance of further research to identify underlying mechanisms and evaluate the impact of food insufficiency on the onset and persistence of chronic pain across the lifespan.

Evaluating treatment participation in an internet-based behavioral intervention for pediatric chronic pain.

OBJECTIVE: Little is known about how participation in internet-based behavioral interventions influences outcomes in youth with health conditions. This study describes participation in an online behavioral pain management intervention for families of adolescents with chronic pain. METHODS: 26 adolescent-parent dyads were randomized to the intervention arm of a controlled trial evaluating a cognitive-behavioral pain intervention. Participation was measured by the number of logins, messages, completion of interactive fields, and behavioral assignments. Associations between content of messages from participants and treatment outcomes were evaluated. RESULTS: Most participants (92.3%) logged in and completed assignments. Over half of participants initiated messages to the online coach. A greater number of messages sent by adolescents containing rapport or treatment content predicted positive treatment outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Most families actively participated in the intervention. Interaction with an online coach may increase the benefit of this Internet behavioral pain management treatment program for adolescents.

Case study: ethical guidance for pediatric e-health research using examples from pain research with adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: The Internet is a frequently used platform for research in pediatric and health psychology. However, there is little pragmatic guidance as to ethical best practice of this research. The absence of guidance is particularly prominent for online research with children. Our objective is to outline ethical issues in e-health research with children and adolescents using two exemplar studies in pediatric pain research. METHODS: The first study is an asynchronous message board discussion amongst teenagers with pain who are frequent internet users.The second study is a web-based behavioral intervention for the management of adolescent pain. RESULTS: Each exemplar study is discussed in the context of specific ethical considerations related to recruitment, informed consent and debriefing, privacy and confidentiality, and participant safety. Ethical issues regarding the evaluation of online psychological interventions are also discussed. CONCLUSIONS: Guidance on optimal ethical practice in e-health research is summarized.

Sleep Health Assessment and Treatment in Children and Adolescents with Chronic Pain: State of the Art and Future Directions.

Sleep is interrelated with the experience of chronic pain and represents a modifiable lifestyle factor that may play an important role in the treatment of children and adolescents with chronic pain. This is a topical review of assessment and treatment approaches to promote sleep health in children and adolescents with chronic pain, which summarizes: relevant and recent systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and methodologically sound prospective studies and clinical trials. Recommendations are provided for best practices in the clinical assessment and treatment of sleep health in youth with chronic pain. This overview can also provide researchers with foundational knowledge to build upon the best evidence for future prospective studies, assessment and intervention development, and novel clinical trials.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on pain and psychological functioning in young adults with chronic pain.

ABSTRACT: Data are equivocal on the consequences of COVID-19 pandemic on pain and well-being for individuals with chronic pain. Furthermore, little is known regarding its impact on the health of young adults with chronic pain. We conducted a longitudinal study to compare pain, psychological functioning, and substance use before and during the pandemic of 196 young adults with chronic pain. Participants aged 18 to 24 years (M = 21.1 years; 79.6% females) reported on pain, anxiety, depression, and substance use before (October 2018-August 2019) and during the pandemic (October 2020-November 2020), in addition to the assessment of COVID-19 exposure and its impact. Before the pandemic, young adults experienced mild-to-moderate pain intensity (M = 3.75, SD = 2.33) and pain interference (M = 3.44, SD = 2.69). Findings were that pain intensity, pain interference, and depression symptoms remained stable during the pandemic. In contrast, anxiety symptoms increased significantly (M = 8.21, SD = 5.84 vs M = 8.89, SD = 5.95, P = 0.04). Tobacco, alcohol, and cannabis use were unchanged. Mixed linear models revealed that COVID-19 exposure and impact were not associated with changes in pain intensity or interference, with female sex associated with increased pain intensity (ß = 0.86, P = 0.02) and pain interference (ß = 0.87, P = 0.02). Our findings indicated relative stability of pain symptoms experienced by young adults with chronic pain. However, the increases in anxiety highlight the need to facilitate treatment access for mental health services to mitigate downstream impact.

Baseline Sleep Disturbances Modify Outcome Trajectories in Adolescents With Chronic Pain Receiving Internet-Delivered Psychological Treatment.

Over 50% of adolescents with chronic pain report comorbid sleep disturbances (eg, difficulties with falling asleep), which is associated with increased pain-related disability and poorer quality of life. However, limited longitudinal data are available to understand how sleep disturbance may impact response to psychological treatment. Our primary hypothesis was that baseline sleep disturbances would significantly modify how adolescents responded to an internet-delivered psychological intervention for chronic pain in terms of outcome trajectories. The sample included 85 adolescents, 12 to 17 years, with chronic pain recruited from a multidisciplinary pain clinic and headache clinic who received access to an internet-delivered psychological intervention for chronic pain. Baseline sleep assessment included actigraphy monitoring for 7 days and survey measures. Outcomes were assessed at baseline, 8 weeks, and 3 months including core pain-related outcomes, executive functioning, fatigue, positive and negative affect. Results demonstrated that greater baseline insomnia and poorer sleep quality was associated with worse outcome trajectories for pain-related disability, depression, anxiety, fatigue, negative affect, and executive functioning. Findings extend the limited studies that examine how sleep disturbance may modify effectiveness of psychological treatments for adolescent chronic pain and emphasize the importance of treating comorbid sleep disturbance. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04043962). PERSPECTIVE: Our study suggests that sleep deficiency, in particular insomnia and poor sleep quality, may modify the effectiveness of psychological treatments for chronic pain, highlighting the urgent need to screen youth for sleep problems prior to initiating treatment, and to consider implementation of sleep-specific treatments such as cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia.