Adolescent pain catastrophizing mediates the relationship between protective parental responses to pain and disability over time

J Pediatr Psychol. 2013 Jun;38(5):541-50. doi: 10.1093/jpepsy/jst011. Epub 2013 Mar 7.

Abstract

Objective: Examine whether the relation between protective parenting responses to pain and functional disability is mediated by pain catastrophizing in adolescents with chronic musculoskeletal pain and their parents over time.

Methods: Adolescents aged 11-18 years and their parents reported on parental protective responses to pain (PPRP), pain catastrophizing scale (PCS), and Functional Disability Inventory (FDI) before Time 1 (T1) and 2 months after Time 2 (T2) an initial interdisciplinary pain clinic evaluation.

Results: PCS was a significant mediator of the PPRP-FDI relationship at T1 and T2 for the adolescents and T2 for their parents. A decrease in PPRP over time was associated with T2 PCS, which in turn was associated with T2 FDI for adolescents and their parents.

Conclusion: Parental protectiveness is associated with disability indirectly through pain catastrophizing at the initial visit and follow-up. Decreases in parent protectiveness, potentially initiated through the initial evaluation, were related to lower levels of disability at follow-up through pain catastrophizing.

Keywords: adolescents; catastrophizing; disability; pain.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adaptation, Psychological / physiology
  • Adolescent
  • Adolescent Behavior / psychology*
  • Attitude to Health*
  • Catastrophization / psychology*
  • Child
  • Disability Evaluation
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Musculoskeletal Pain / psychology*
  • Pain Management / methods
  • Pain Management / psychology
  • Pain Measurement / methods
  • Pain Measurement / psychology
  • Parent-Child Relations
  • Parenting / psychology
  • Parents / psychology*
  • Persons with Disabilities / psychology*