SMART4Pain: Feasibility of a Two-Arm Pilot Study of an Integrated Rehabilitation Program for Adolescents and Their Parents for Improving Pain Management
Alessandro Failo,
Paola Venuti,
Patrizia Villotti,
Stefan Schmalholz,
Nicola Chistè,
Bernd Raffeiner,
Michela Salandin,
Serena Pellegrin,
Lydia Pescollderungg,
Mariantonietta Mazzoldi
Affiliations
Alessandro Failo
Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, University of Trento, Via Corso Bettini, 84, 38068 Rovereto, Italy
Paola Venuti
Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, University of Trento, Via Corso Bettini, 84, 38068 Rovereto, Italy
Patrizia Villotti
Career Counselling—Department of Education and Pedagogy, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, QC H2X 3R9, Canada
Stefan Schmalholz
Clinical Psychological Unit, Hospital of Bolzano, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
Nicola Chistè
Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, University of Trento, Via Corso Bettini, 84, 38068 Rovereto, Italy
Bernd Raffeiner
Department of Rheumatology, Hospital of Bolzano, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
Michela Salandin
Child Neurology Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Hospital of Bolzano, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
Serena Pellegrin
Child Neurology Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Hospital of Bolzano, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
Lydia Pescollderungg
Department of Pediatrics, Hospital of Bolzano, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
Mariantonietta Mazzoldi
Clinical Psychological Unit, Hospital of Bolzano, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
Chronic pain in youth has an unsung etiology and limited treatment options. Affected adolescents show difficulties in different functioning domains, and their parents can develop associated distress, which negatively influences the adolescent’s capacity to adjust to pain. The aims of this study are the following: (1) to develop an internet-delivered (online) pain intervention (SMART4Pain) program for adolescents and their parents, and to test its feasibility and acceptability; (2) to evaluate, in adolescents, the impact of the face-to-face, randomized, two-armed (i.e., CBT or biofeedback), open-label pilot study, developed together with the online program. The overall program consisted of six sessions scheduled over six weeks. Twenty adolescents (N = 20) and their parents (N = 20) completed the entire program and are included in this study. The results showed that all interventions were feasible and acceptable, as well as potentially effective in improving quality of life. Only the group receiving the biofeedback intervention showed some improvements in psychological indicators of stress. In conclusion, more research is needed to better understand and develop new, multimodal rehabilitation programs in outpatient settings.
