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ObjectivesAbdominal pain, emergency department visits, and hospitalizations impact lives of children with acute recurrent pancreatitis (ARP) and chronic pancreatitis (CP). Data on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in this population, however, remains limited. We aimed to evaluate HRQOL in children with ARP or CP; and test biopsychosocial risk factors associated with low HRQOL.MethodsData were acquired from the INternational Study Group of Pediatric Pancreatitis: In search for a cuRE registry. Baseline demographic and clinical questionnaires, the Child Health Questionnaire (measures HRQOL) and Child Behavior Checklist (measures emotional and behavioral functioning) were completed at enrollment.ResultsThe sample included 368 children (54.3% girls, mean age = 12.7years, standard deviation [SD] = 3.3); 65.2% had ARP and 34.8% with CP. Low physical HRQOL (M = 38.5, SD = 16.0) was demonstrated while psychosocial HRQOL (M = 49.5, SD = 10.2) was in the normative range. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that clinical levels of emotional and behavioral problems (B = -10.28, P

Self-injurious behaviors (SIB) are elevated in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and related genetic disorders, but the genetic and biological mechanisms that contribute to SIB in ASD are poorly understood. This study examined rates and predictors of SIB in 112 individuals with disruptive mutations to ASD-risk genes. Current SIB were reported in 30% of participants and associated with poorer cognitive and adaptive skills. History of severe abdominal pain predicted higher rates of SIB and SIB severity after controlling for age and adaptive behavior; individuals with a history of severe abdominal pain were eight times more likely to exhibit SIB than those with no history. Future research is needed to examine associations between genetic risk, pain, and SIB in this population.

Adolescents with chronic pain can at times present with disability out of proportion to diagnostic workup. This is also a defining feature of medical child abuse (MCA). The aim of this study was to identify themes from the clinical narratives of adolescents with chronic pain that may indicate concern for MCA. This qualitative, retrospective study at an academic children's hospital between 2011 and 2019 identified 37 adolescents aged 13–18 years old with chronic pain and varying levels of concern for MCA. Conventional, inductive content analysis was used to identify themes from the medical records of all patients, which were reviewed by an interdisciplinary panel of experts. Themes were organised into three tiers related to the level of concern for MCA: 'Green zone' themes including fatigue or sleep problems, psychosocial distress, and social withdrawal were common among all patients. 'Yellow zone' themes including fragmented care, caregiver catastrophising, caregiver misrepresentation, medical provider exasperation, and sick identity were more common among patients in whom medical providers raised concern for MCA. A single 'red zone' theme, reportable harm to the child, was only present in patients diagnosed by a child abuse paediatrician as having MCA. A visual display of the results is provided for further research and clinical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Data are equivocal on the consequences of COVID-19 pandemic on pain and well-being for individuals with chronic pain. Furthermore, little is known regarding its impact on the health of young adults with chronic pain. We conducted a longitudinal study to compare pain, psychological functioning, and substance use before and during the pandemic of 196 young adults with chronic pain. Participants aged 18 to 24 years (M = 21.1 years; 79.6% females) reported on pain, anxiety, depression, and substance use before (October 2018-August 2019) and during the pandemic (October 2020-November 2020), in addition to the assessment of COVID-19 exposure and its impact. Before the pandemic, young adults experienced mild-to-moderate pain intensity (M = 3.75, SD = 2.33) and pain interference (M = 3.44, SD = 2.69). Findings were that pain intensity, pain interference, and depression symptoms remained stable during the pandemic. In contrast, anxiety symptoms increased significantly (M = 8.21, SD = 5.84 vs M = 8.89, SD = 5.95, P = 0.04). Tobacco, alcohol, and cannabis use were unchanged. Mixed linear models revealed that COVID-19 exposure and impact were not associated with changes in pain intensity or interference, with female sex associated with increased pain intensity (β = 0.86, P = 0.02) and pain interference (β = 0.87, P = 0.02). Our findings indicated relative stability of pain symptoms experienced by young adults with chronic pain. However, the increases in anxiety highlight the need to facilitate treatment access for mental health services to mitigate downstream impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sleep disturbances have been commonly reported as comorbid in youth with pain conditions, but prior research specific to functional abdominal pain (FAP) is limited. This study describes individual factors associated with increased risk for sleep disturbance and characterizes the relationship between sleep disturbance and pain-related variables. Participants included 278 adolescents (age 11 to 17 years, M age = 15 years; 89% Caucasian; 65% female) with FAP. Participants reported on sleep disturbances, abdominal pain severity, functional disability, somatic symptoms, and healthcare utilization. Female adolescents reported greater sleep disturbance than male adolescents (t(276) = 5.52, p <.001, Cohen's d = 0.70) and increased age was associated with greater sleep disturbance (r =.20, p =.001). In hierarchical regressions controlling for age, sex, and abdominal pain, greater sleep disturbance was significantly associated with greater functional disability (β =.32), non-gastrointestinal somatic symptoms (β =.35), and emergency department visits (β =.29). Results suggest that sleep disturbance is common and should be assessed in youth presenting with FAP and may be a potential target for intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic negatively affected children's health in the United States (US), with more severe disruption for marginalized groups. However, potential impact on pediatric chronic pain has not been assessed at the population level. This study aimed to (1) estimate differences in the US national prevalence of pediatric chronic pain during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic (2020), relative to one year earlier (2019); (2) determine whether differences in prevalence varied across sociodemographic groups; and (3) explore changes in child, caregiver, and family factors associated with chronic pain prevalence. Using data of children 6 to 17 years from the National Survey of Children's Health 2019 and 2020 (n = 50,518), we compared weighted percentages of sample characteristics by year and conducted a series of directed-acyclic graph-informed survey-weighted Poisson regressions. The estimated national prevalence (95% CI) of pediatric chronic pain was 10.8% (9.9, 11.9%) in 2019, decreasing to 7.6% (6.9, 8.3%) in 2020. Contrary to hypotheses, the adjusted prevalence of chronic pain was 31% lower in 2020 than in 2019 (aPR = 0.69, 95% CI: 0.61, 0.79), adjusting for child age, sex, race or ethnicity, caregiver education, neighborhood park or playground, and census region. The 2019 to 2020 change in chronic pain prevalence was similar by age ( P = 0.34), sex ( P = 0.94), race or ethnicity ( P = 0.41), caregiver education ( P = 0.49), neighborhood park or playground ( P = 0.22), and census region ( P = 0.20). Exploratory analyses identified 3 potential contributors to the unexpected decrease in the national prevalence of pediatric chronic pain: lower prevalence of bullying, more frequent family meals, and higher family resilience., (Copyright © 2023 International Association for the Study of Pain.)