Adolescent and Parent Experiences of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Pediatric Chronic Pain: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis
Open Access
- 7 September 2019
- Vol. 6 (9), 101
- https://doi.org/10.3390/children6090101
Abstract
Pediatric chronic pain is common and can be related to reduced functioning in many domains for the young person and their parents. Existing psychological treatments such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) have shown to be effective, but improvements are needed. Qualitative approaches can help improve our understanding of treatment processes and outcomes. The aim of the present qualitative interview study was to explore the lived experiences of young people and parents who had participated in ACT for pediatric chronic pain. Four young persons and four parents were interviewed, and data was analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Three themes were generated, each comprising two subthemes: (1) ‘Warning system’, which included experiences from being offered this psychological intervention, and the alternative explanations provided for pain; (2) ‘Change and challenges’, which suggested the importance of the values-based work, and of individual adaptation; and (3) ’A common language’ in which the interaction with others and new ways to communicate around the pain experience were described. Findings highlight the importance of pain education, formulating and acting in line with personal values, and communication around the pain experience, as well as the need for developmental and individual adaptations of interventions.Keywords
Funding Information
- Stiftelsen Clas Groschinskys Minnesfond (SF 1718)
- Stiftelsen Sven Jerrings Fond (N/A)
This publication has 70 references indexed in Scilit:
- Maintaining Lasting Improvements: One-Year Follow-Up of Children With Severe Chronic Pain Undergoing Multimodal Inpatient TreatmentJournal of Pediatric Psychology, 2012
- ‘Unsatisfactory Saturation’: a critical exploration of the notion of saturated sample sizes in qualitative researchQualitative Research, 2012
- Ten Ways to Improve the Use of Statistical Mediation Analysis in the Practice of Child and Adolescent Treatment ResearchClinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 2012
- The epidemiology of chronic pain in children and adolescents revisited: A systematic reviewPain, 2011
- Systematic Review of Family Functioning in Families of Children and Adolescents With Chronic PainThe Journal of Pain, 2010
- The storm and stress of adolescence: Insights from human imaging and mouse geneticsDevelopmental Psychobiology, 2010
- Parents of children and adolescents with chronic painPain, 2009
- Pain as an assault on the self: An interpretative phenomenological analysis of the psychological impact of chronic benign low back painPsychology & Health, 2007
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: Model, processes and outcomesBehaviour Research and Therapy, 2006
- The personal experience of chronic benign lower back pain: An interpretative phenomenological analysisBritish Journal of Health Psychology, 1998