Internet Intervention for Adolescents With Chronic Pain
Internet Intervention for Adolescents With Chronic Pain
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of a web-based (i.e., internet)
 behavioral program to reduce pain and improve functioning in children and adolescents with
 chronic pain. We hypothesize that children and adolescents in families that receive the
 web-based behavioral program will report reduced pain levels and improved daily functioning
 compared to children and their parents who receive online patient education.
An estimated 15% to 30% of otherwise healthy children and adolescents suffer from recurrent
 or chronic pain such as headache, abdominal pain, and musculoskeletal pain. Chronic pain has
 a significant impact on children's mood, daily functioning, and overall quality of life.
 Effective behavioral interventions have been developed to increase positive coping behaviors.
 However, most children do not have access to these interventions due to a variety of barriers
 such as distance from pediatric pain treatment centers. We have developed an online
 behavioral intervention called Web-based Management of Adolescent Pain (Web-MAP), and our
 preliminary findings indicated that children in families that received this intervention
 experienced significant improvements in their pain level and daily functioning compared to
 children who did not receive the intervention (Palermo et al., 2009). The purpose of this
 study is to extend these findings by: 1) recruiting families from other medical centers, 2)
 determining whether the benefits of online behavioral intervention are maintained 6- and
 12-months after the intervention has been completed, 3) evaluating additional outcomes such
 as parent responses to pain and child sleep quality, anxiety, depression, and health service
 use, 4) comparing results from online behavioral intervention to online patient education.
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  Literate in English

 -  Age 11-17 years

 -  Pain present for at least 3 months duration

 -  Pain occurs at least 1 time per week and interferes with daily functioning

 -  Pain is not related to a chronic disease

 -  Receiving evaluation or treatment in a pediatric pain clinic

 -  Has access to a computer, the Internet, and a phone

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  A serious comorbid chronic condition in the patient (e.g., diabetes, arthritis,
 cancer).

 -  Non-English speaking

 -  More than 4 sessions of CBT for pain management in the 6 months prior to the time of
 screening.