SMART4Pain: Feasibility of a Two-Arm Pilot Study of an Integrated Rehabilitation Program for Adolescents and Their Parents for Improving Pain Management

Abstract

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.

Keywords

• chronic pain
• adolescents and parents
• integrated treatment
• online and face-to-face program
• CBT
• biofeedback