Chronic Pain

Vital research on chronic pain and wellbeing in adolescence

What?

Living with chronic pain can be tough for any young person. But while some people may experience distressing thoughts, others may not. No young person should face these problems alone. So, it’s important for us to figure out who might be more vulnerable to distress, when, and why, and which factors might be protective. That way, we can be there for them when they need it most.

In this study, Dr Hinze and colleagues will explore why some young people with chronic pain may experience severe distress but not others. In total, 70 young people with chronic pain (aged 12-19 years) will be invited to take part. Over a 30-day period, they will answer a few questions about their pain and feelings five times per day and complete three detailed surveys (at the start, in the middle, and at the end). This will help the researchers better understand how feelings of pain and distress might change over hours, days, and weeks. Plus, it might show us which psychological and social factors might bring about these changes. Answering these questions is vital as it will help us make sure vulnerable young people get the right care at the right time. This study is part of a research fellowship jointly funded by Versus Arthritis and the Medical Research Foundation.

The project:

• The study has been designed and will be conducted with the input from multiple stakeholders (young people with a lived experience of chronic pain, their parents, teachers, and clinical team).
• Previously, stakeholders provided advice on the study objectives and design (e.g., measurement frequency, times, tools, and measures).
• Moving forward, stakeholders will be consulted for ongoing advice, the interpretation of our findings, research dissemination.

Why?

Right now, chronic pain affects between 18.4 million and 28 million people across the UK. That’s more than a third of the population living in pain for more than three months, with about 1 in 5 young people affected. While research into adult pain has grown steadily, there’s been a lack of research into musculoskeletal pain in young people.

Who?

We are involving young people aged 12-19 years with a lived experience of chronic pain as ongoing youth advisors.

How?

• Study design: set priorities for future research studies and provide advice on the research design.
• Custom Data Tools: chose data collection tools tailored to specific research needs and measures that are clinically meaningful.
• Interpretation: help us to interpret and synthesise our research findings
• Research dissemination: co-create and advise on novel means to disseminate research findings widely and accessibly (e.g., animations, personalised reports)
• Ongoing feedback: provide ongoing feedback and reflections for continuous improvement and other related studies on the topic of chronic pain and wellbeing.

For more information contact Dr Verena Hinze (verena.hinze@psych.ox.ac.uk)

Project lead: Dr Verena Hinze