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Soltani S, Killackey T, Birnie KA, Brennenstuhl S, Kopala-Sibley DC, Choiniere M, Pagé MG, Dassieu L, Lacasse A, Lalloo C, Poulin P, Ingelmo P, Ali S, Battaglia M, Campbell F, Smith A, Benayon M, Jordan I, Marianayagam J, Harris L, Mohabir V, Stinson J, Noel M. Pain, mental health and healthcare utilization: Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on youth with chronic pain, parents and siblings. Eur J Pain 2023; 27:1249-1265. [PMID: 37435883 DOI: 10.1002/ejp.2157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Paediatric chronic pain was a public health emergency before the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and this problem is predicted to escalate. Pain tends to occur intergenerationally in families, and youth with chronic pain and their parents have high rates of mental health issues, which can further exacerbate pain. Siblings of youth with chronic pain have been largely overlooked in research, as well as the impact of the pandemic on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and healthcare utilization. METHODS This cross-sectional study examined pain, mental health and healthcare utilization in three groups: youth with chronic pain (n = 357), parents of youth with chronic pain (n = 233) and siblings of youth with chronic pain (n = 156) during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. RESULTS More so than with pain symptoms, the results revealed high levels of mental health symptoms (i.e. anxiety, depressive, and PTSD), particularly in individuals more personally impacted by the pandemic. The largest effect was seen on PTSD symptoms for all groups. For parents with chronic pain, greater personal COVID-19 impact was related to worse pain interference. Reported rates of healthcare utilization were strikingly high, with youth with chronic pain, parents (reporting on behalf of their children with chronic pain), and siblings of youth with chronic pain reporting that most consultations were due to pain. CONCLUSIONS Longitudinal research assessing these outcomes across continued waves of the pandemic is needed to ensure timely, tailored and equitable access to pain and mental health assessment and treatment. SIGNIFICANCE This study examined pain, mental health, substance use and healthcare utilization in youth with chronic pain, siblings and parents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Greater personal impact of the pandemic was not largely associated with poorer pain outcomes; however, it was associated with mental health, with the largest effect on PTSD symptoms. The high rates and significant association of COVID-19 impact with PTSD symptoms underscore the importance of including PTSD assessment as part of routine screening practices in pain clinics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Soltani
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Tieghan Killackey
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kathryn A Birnie
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Sarah Brennenstuhl
- Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Daniel C Kopala-Sibley
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Calgary, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research & Education, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Manon Choiniere
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Research Center of the Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - M Gabrielle Pagé
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Psychology, Research Center of the Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Lise Dassieu
- Research Center of the Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Anaïs Lacasse
- Department of Health Sciences, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, Canada
| | - Chitra Lalloo
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Institute of Health Policy, Management & Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Patricia Poulin
- Department of Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychology, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Pablo Ingelmo
- Anesthesia and Chronic Pain Management, Montreal Children's Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Samina Ali
- Departments of Pediatrics & Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Women and Children's Health Research Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Marco Battaglia
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- CYEA Programme, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Fiona Campbell
- Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, University of Toronto, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Andrew Smith
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Myles Benayon
- Internal Medicine Residency Program, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | | | | | - Lauren Harris
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Vina Mohabir
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jennifer Stinson
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Melanie Noel
- Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research & Education, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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