Objective: To examine associations between parental history of pain and catastrophizing and their adolescent's pain, somatic symptoms, catastrophizing, and disability.
Methods: Participants included 178 youths aged 11-14 years recruited through public schools. Adolescents completed measures assessing pain characteristics, somatic symptoms, and pain catastrophizing. Parents reported on their own pain, and catastrophizing about their adolescent's pain.
Results: About one quarter of the adolescents and two thirds of parents reported having pain. Parent pain was associated with adolescent pain, somatic symptoms, and pain catastrophizing. Parent catastrophizing was a significant predictor of adolescent somatic symptoms and pain-related disability, beyond the contribution of parent pain. Adolescent catastrophizing mediated the association between parent catastrophizing and adolescent pain-related disability.
Conclusions: Parent history of pain and pain-related cognitions may contribute to adolescent risk for chronic pain.
Keywords: adolescence; childhood; pain; pain catastrophizing; parent factors.