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Background Loneliness, the perception that one’s social relationships do not meet the desire for social connection, is a risk factor for poor mental and physical health. Adolescents with chronic pain experience higher rates of peer loneliness which persists over time. Previous studies used a single loneliness measure, limiting our understanding of the nature of their loneliness. This study describes the types of peer loneliness (intimate, relational, and collective) experienced by these adolescents and the impact that peer loneliness has on pain-related outcomes.Methods A cross-sectional online survey was completed by 128 Canadian adolescents aged 12–18 years who experienced pain for at least 3 months. Validated measures captured demographics, pain-related characteristics, types of peer-related loneliness, measures of social well-being, and mental and physical health outcomes.Results Friedman’s tests of z-scores indicate that participants equally experienced dyadic, relational, and collective peer loneliness. MANCOVA revealed that those who identify as Black were lonelier after controlling for socioeconomic status. Multiple regression showed that loneliness was a robust predicter of worse scores on social well-being and mental health outcomes with males and females equally impacted by loneliness. Despite moderate correlations between loneliness and pain interference and pain intensity, loneliness did not predict school absences, suggesting that loneliness’ influence on physical pain outcomes may be temporally earlier (e.g. contribute to pain chronification).Conclusions Peer loneliness among adolescents with chronic pain negatively impacts their social well-being and mental health outcomes. Interventions addressing loneliness to target all three types of peer loneliness may be key to improving pain-related outcomes.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to explore the transition experience of young adults with chronic pain in Canada from the pediatric health care setting to the adult health care setting. Materials and Methods A qualitative descriptive approach using semistructured interviews was used to capture the transition experiences of young people with chronic pain who have recently transferred from the pediatric setting to the adult health care setting. Participants were recruited from west, central, and the east coast of Canada to situate the findings within the context of Canada. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed using qualitative inductive content analysis. Results Nine participants were interviewed, three from each part of Canada (west, central, and east). Five common categories were determined to describe the transition experience of young adults with chronic pain which include (1) independence (I can do it, maybe?), (2) pain trajectory (stress and pain along for the ride), (3) social support networks (need a shoulder to lean on), (4) parental support (obviously they are there), and (5) collaborative systems (the bridge). Conclusion Young people with chronic pain experience unique challenges when faced with transitioning to the adult health care setting. Supporting the young person and his or her family in preparation and readiness and collaboration between the pediatric and adult health care settings are essential to ensure a smooth transition and avoid negative transition outcomes. Further research is needed to determine the best ways to prepare young people for transition and the care activities required in both pediatric and adult health care settings to improve pain-related outcomes posttransition.

Background The 2018 Global Year for Excellence in Pain Education, an initiative of the International Association for the Study of Pain, brought worldwide attention to the need for education that crosses narrow disciplinary boundaries, addresses up-to-date research methods and findings, and encourages teamwork among trainees and mentors at different levels of training and with different perspectives. Aims This commentary describes the development of Pain in Child Health (PICH), an interdisciplinary training program for researchers in pediatric pain at the undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral levels of training. Methods Based on documentation of the structure, training processes, leadership, and membership of PICH, we outline its organization and its challenges and accomplishments over the first 12 years of its growth into a well-known international program. Results and Conclusions Pain in Child Health began as a Strategic Training Initiative of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research in 2002 and developed into an international research training consortium featuring cross-site and cross-discipline mentorship and collaboration. PICH trainees and alumni have contributed extensively to the current scientific literature on children’s pain. PICH could serve as a possible model for training and mentorship in other specialized health research domains within and outside thestudy of pain.