Coping with pain: Polish versions of the Pain Coping Questionnaire for both children and parents

Aim: This article presents the cultural adaptation and evaluation of the psychometric properties of the Polish versions of the Pain Coping Questionnaire for both children and parents. Materials & methods: The study involved children aged 12–17 years (n = 220), who experienced trauma-related pain, and their parents (n = 220). Results: In the questionnaire for children and parents, the Kaisera-Mayera-Olkina (KMO) measure of sample adequacy was 0.457 and 0.455, whereas Bartlett’s test of sphericity: Chi-square = 1523.93, p < 0.001 and Chi-square = 1325.31, p < 0.001, returned a statistically significant result. Cronbach’s alpha for the factors identified in both groups was between 0.833 and 0.904. Conclusion: The linguistic adaptation has shown that the Polish version of the Pain Coping Questionnaire meets the psychometric criteria for reliability and accuracy of the tool.

Psychological Assessment of Control and Coping with Neuropathic Pain in the Lumbar Spine

Background: Pain in the lumbar spine is an increasingly common problem, not only neurological or orthopaedic, but also psychological. In epidemiological studies on the prevalence of neuropathic pain, conducted in countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States France, and Brazil, it has been shown that the prevalence of chronic pain with neuropathic properties is estimated at 7-10%. Chronic neuropathic pain is more common in women (8% versus 5.7% in men) and in patients > 50 years of age (8.9% versus 5.6% in women < 49 years old). It most frequently concerns the lumbar region and lower limbs. However, in Germany, it has been revealed that 40% of all patients experience at least some features of neuropathic pain such as burning, numbness and/or tingling, especially those with chronic pain in the lumbar spine and radiculopathy. Chronic pain not only hinders a patient's daily life activities, but over time, it has negative impact on the patient's psyche: it reduces his/her well-being, causing anxiety, fear, helplessness, regret and even hostility. It should be emphasized that each of these reactions is an individual feature. Objectives: The aim of the study is to assess pain control as well as the strategies of coping with neuropathic pain in the lumbar spine. Material and methods: The study comprised 50 people with neuropathic pain in the lumbar region, including 41 women and 19 men. The average age of the respondents was 56 years, the average duration of the symptoms was 8 years. The following questionnaires were used to assess neuropathic pain: Lanss Pain Scale and DN4, and the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) to assess pain intensity. For Pain Control Assessment - the Beliefs Questionnaire for Pain Control (BPCQ) and Pain Coping Strategy Questionnaire (CSQ). Results: Among the 3 measured factors of pain control, internal control dominates in young people, external control in middle-aged individuals, and the attitude towards random events in the elderly. There was significant statistical dependence between pain coping strategy and type of pain control. Conclusions: With the duration of pain and the age of the patient, random events play an increasingly important role in pain control. Hence, tests on pain control and coping should be carried out among patients as this would determine the most favourable treatment method.

Caregiver-Assisted Pain Coping Skills Training for Patients With Dementia: A Pilot Study

Pain is common and undertreated in patients with dementia, and contributes to disability, psychological distress, neuropsychiatric symptoms and caregiver stress. The goal of this study was to develop a caregiver-assisted pain coping skills training protocol tailored for community-dwelling adults with mild-moderate dementia and their family caregivers. We conducted interviews with patients and caregivers to develop the protocol. We then conducted a single arm pilot test of the intervention’s feasibility and acceptability. Patients were recruited from an outpatient memory care clinic and screened for pain using the validated Pain, Enjoyment, General Activity (PEG) scale. The intervention included five sessions of training in pain assessment, relaxation, pleasant activity scheduling, and integrative movement. Initially sessions were conducted in person or by videoconference according to the dyad’s preference; during COVID-19 (latter half of study) all sessions were conducted remotely. Eleven dyads consented and provided baseline data [patients: mean age=77.7 years (SD=4.8), 70% non-Hispanic white; caregivers: mean age=69.6 years (SD=13.3); 91% non-Hispanic white; 73% spouses]. Nine dyads (82%) completed all five sessions. Caregivers reported high levels of satisfaction with the intervention (mean=3.4 on 1-4 scale) and frequent use of pain coping skills (mean=3-4 days/week). On average, patients reported pre-post decreases in pain severity (mean=-1.2, SD=1.8) and pain interference (mean=-0.64, SD=0.67) on the Brief Pain Inventory. Overall these findings suggest that a behavioral pain coping intervention for patients with mild-moderate dementia and their caregivers is feasible, acceptable, and potentially helpful for managing pain.

Age Differences in the Use/Efficacy of Emotion Coping Strategies among Adults with Chronic Pain: A Scoping Review

Active coping strategies (e.g., exercise and pharmacological treatments) typically do not leave chronic pain patients completely pain-free. Therefore, individuals turn to emotion-focused strategies to cope with associated impairment and psychosocial consequences. General coping strategy use has been shown to differ by age. This scoping review explored age differences in the use and effectiveness of emotion-focused strategies in adults experiencing chronic pain. Studies were located via advanced searches in PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Embase, Web of Science, and Proquest Dissertations and Theses Global and referral. Two reviewers independently conducted abstract screenings and full-text extractions. Conflicts were discussed and resolved by the PI. We identified 15 studies that met our inclusion criteria, of which 14 met criteria for high methodologic quality. The majority of studies utilized the Coping Strategies Questionnaire to assess differential use of pain-coping strategies. The remaining studies used one of five other questionnaires. Only one study examined the differential effect of age on the efficacy of emotion-focused strategies. Five of the eight studies that examined hoping/prayer coping reported the strategy’s positive association with age. Age was not associated with ignoring pain or reinterpreting pain sensations in any of the eight studies in which these strategies were measured. We concluded that older age was associated with the use of praying/hoping as a means of coping with pain. No other consistent associations between age and other measured coping strategies were identified. Future research should account for auxiliary stressors and pain characteristics while investigating the differential effect of age on pain coping efficacy.

Partnering to cope with pain: A pilot study of a caregiver-assisted pain coping skills intervention for patients with cognitive impairment and dementia

Objective To develop a new caregiver-assisted pain coping skills training protocol specifically tailored for community-dwelling persons with cognitive impairment and pain, and assess its feasibility and acceptability. Method In Phase I, we conducted interviews with 10 patient–caregiver dyads to gather feedback about intervention content and delivery. Phase II was a single-arm pilot test to evaluate the intervention's feasibility and acceptability. Dyads in the pilot study (n = 11) completed baseline surveys, received five intervention sessions, and then completed post-intervention surveys. Analyses focused on feasibility and acceptability. Results Dyads responded positively to the pain coping skills presented in the interviews; their feedback was used to refine the intervention. Findings from the pilot study suggested that the intervention was feasible and acceptable. 69% of eligible dyads consented, 82% completed all five intervention sessions, and 100% completed the post-treatment assessment. Caregivers reported high satisfaction ratings. They also reported using the pain coping skills on a regular basis, and that they found most of the skills helpful and easy to use. Significance of results These preliminary findings suggest that a caregiver-assisted pain coping skills intervention is feasible and acceptable, and that it may be a promising approach to managing pain in patients with cognitive impairment.

Pain coping strategies and their association with quality of life in people with Parkinson’s disease: A cross-sectional study

Objective To develop multidimensional approaches for pain management, this study aimed to understand how PD patients cope with pain. Design Cross-sectional, cohort study. Setting Monocentric, inpatient, university hospital. Participants 52 patients with Parkinson’s disease (without dementia) analysed. Primary and secondary outcome measures Motor function, nonmotor symptoms, health-related quality of life (QoL), and the Coping Strategies Questionnaire were assessed. Elastic net regularization and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) were used to study the association among coping, clinical parameters, and QoL. Results Most patients cope with pain through active cognitive (coping self-statements) and active behavioral strategies (increasing pain behaviors and increasing activity level). Active coping was associated with lower pain rating. Regarding QoL domains, active coping was associated with better physical functioning and better energy, whereas passive coping was associated with poorer emotional well-being. However, as demonstrated by MANOVA, the impact of coping factors (active and passive) on the Short Form 36 domains was negligible after correction for age, motor function, and depression. Conclusion Passive coping strategies are the most likely coping response of those with depressive symptoms, whereas active coping strategies are the most likely coping response to influence physical function. Although coping is associated with pain rating, the extent that pain coping responses can impact on QoL seems to be low.

Biopsychosocial Predictors of Quality of Life in Paediatric Patients With Sickle Cell Disease

Sickle cell disease (SCD) refers to a group of inherited blood disorders with considerable morbidity that causes severe pain, reduces life expectancy, and requires significant self-management. Acute painful episodes are the hallmark of SCD, but persistent daily pain is also highly prevalent in this population. Characterising the impact and experience of SCD-related morbidity (i.e., sleep disruption, frequent emergency department visits, cognitive dysfunction) on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) requires multiple assessment methods to best capture the underlying mechanisms. To gain a greater understanding of the effect of common symptom categories on HRQOL and to determine potential pain coping targets, the present study investigated whether demographic, socioeconomic, sleepiness, pain burden, frequency of emergency department (ED) visits, and cognition predicted HRQOL in a paediatric sample of patients with SCD. Our study was a secondary analysis of baseline assessment data of children with SCD aged 8–15 years (n = 30) in the Prevention of Morbidity in Sickle Cell Anaemia Phase 2b (POMSb2) randomised controlled clinical trial of auto-adjusting continuous positive airways pressure. Patients completed cognitive testing (IQ, Processing Speed Index, Delis-Kaplan Executive Function Scale (DKEFS) Tower, Conner's Continuous Performance Test), sleepiness (Epworth Sleepiness Scale), and HRQOL (PedsQL Sickle Cell Module) at baseline. Patients reported pain burden (Sickle Cell Pain Burden Inventory-Youth) each month over 8 visits. Caregivers provided demographic information and reported their child's executive function (Behavioural Rating Inventory of Executive Function) at baseline. Data from our analysis demonstrated that demographic factors (i.e., age, gender, level of neighbourhood deprivation) and treatment variables (i.e., hydroxyurea use) did not independently predict HRQOL, and laboratory values (i.e., haemoglobin, haematocrit, mean oxygen saturation) were not significantly correlated with HRQOL (ps &gt; 0.05). However, sleepiness, pain burden, ED visits, and executive dysfunction independently predicted HRQOL (R2 = 0.66) with large effects (η2 = 0.16 to 0.32). These findings identify specific, measurable symptom categories that may serve as targets to improve HRQOL that are responsive to change. This knowledge will be useful for multimodal interventions for paediatric patients with SCD that include sleep management, pain coping strategies, and executive function training.