12 research outputs found
The iPeer2Peer Program: a pilot randomized controlled trial in adolescents with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
Cultural influences on the assessment of childrenâs pain
Culture is commonly regarded as a factor in pain behaviour and experience, but the meaning of the term is often unclear. There is little evidence that pain perception is modified by cultural or ethnic factors, but pain expression by children and interpretation by caregivers may be affected by the culture of the patient or the caregiver. The present paper examines some of the research regarding cultural influences on childrenâs pain assessment, and addresses directions for future research. A focus on cultural influences should not distract clinicians from the need to be sensitive to individual beliefs and attitudes
My child you must have patience and Kreng Jai : Thai parents and child pain
Purpose: To elicit the experiences of parents in providing care for their hospitalized
childâs acute pain needs.
Design: Phenomenology, using in-depth interviews with 45 parents whose
children were being cared for in five hospitals in Northeastern (Isan) Thailand.
Findings: The findings address Thai cultural beliefs regarding the experience
of pain and the role societal expectations have on parental behavior in trying
to meet their childâs acute pain needs. Two themes emergedâ âUnderstanding
my childâs pain: itâs karmaâ and âMaintaining Kreng Jaiââ which identify parent
beliefs toward pain and pain treatment, as well as perceived barriers in securing
pain management for their children. Together these two themes describe the
essence of this study as parents experienced an âinner struggle in providing
pain care.â Pain was perceived as an inescapable part of life, and participants
identified a preference for traditional remedies. Parents experienced a tension
as they wanted to provide and secure pain care for their child but at the same
time were reticent to approach staff with concerns about their childâs care.
Conclusions: Thai parents viewed pain as a normal consequence of life, and
one had to use traditional remedies in addition to medicine to successfully
treat pain. Societal behavioral expectations required children to have patience.
Nevertheless, parents wanted professionals to show more empathy and provide
more effective pain care.
Clinical Relevance: Improvements in pediatric pain care must formally include
parents. Culturally sensitive approaches that do not stereotype parents
and children are needed to ensure that evidence-informed pain care is available
for all children
Children's pain assessment in Northeastern Thailand : perspectives of health professionals
Deficiencies in pain care within the developing world are starting to be realized. Children, in particular, are vulnerable,
as preliminary studies suggest that these children receive less pain treatment because of health professionalsâ attitudes
and beliefs. This article reports on some of the findings of the first study in a larger program of research aimed
at improving pediatric pain care in Thailand. Improvements in practice are not simply the result of providing
evidenced-based knowledge, but a complex process that includes the context of care. Given that little is known about
the pain management experiences of Thai health professionals, including the challenges they face, we used focus
groups to capture their stories. Data revealed a need for both updating pain knowledge and for supporting an
increased use of appropriate practices. In this article, we focus on the issues concerning the assessment of pain resulting
from underrecognizing childrenâs pain and complex issues in communicating findings of childrenâs pain
Living with Difference: Exploring the Social Self of Adolescents with Chronic Pain
BACKGROUND: Chronic pain negatively affects an adolescentâs life; however, little is known about the social impact of chronic pain for adolescents. More is known about the general peer relationships of adolescents with chronic pain than their close friendships. Close friendships begin to take on more importance during adolescence as these relationships facilitate the development of an adolescentâs sense of personal identity and increasing independence from family influences. Thus, chronic pain may create friendship challenges for adolescents beyond those typically experienced during this developmental trajectory, which may negatively impact their abilities to secure social support.OBJECTIVES: To better understand the challenges adolescents with chronic pain face with regard to their friendships.METHODS: An interpretative phenomenological study using individual interviews was conducted.RESULTS: Two themes emerged. âRethinking the self with painâ describes the intrusive nature of chronic pain, challenging the participants to rethink the way they view themselves and their place within their social network. âRethinking friendshipsâ describes the interpretation of their friendsâ reactions to their chronic pain condition, which led to these adolescents spending more time by themselves, and feeling misunderstood and unsupported.CONCLUSIONS: The impact of chronic pain on the adolescent as an individual as well as the responses of close friends and others within their social network resulted in the development of new friendship needs. However, the adolescents were not always able to secure these new friendship needs. Their experiences suggest factors within friendships that may be ameliorated by interventions, thus maintaining and strengthening their close friendships.Peer Reviewe
Living with Difference: Exploring the Social Self of Adolescents with Chronic Pain
BACKGROUND: Chronic pain negatively affects an adolescentâs life; however, little is known about the social impact of chronic pain for adolescents. More is known about the general peer relationships of adolescents with chronic pain than their close friendships. Close friendships begin to take on more importance during adolescence as these relationships facilitate the development of an adolescentâs sense of personal identity and increasing independence from family influences. Thus, chronic pain may create friendship challenges for adolescents beyond those typically experienced during this developmental trajectory, which may negatively impact their abilities to secure social support
Social Functioning and Peer Relationships in Children and Adolescents with Chronic Pain: A Systematic Review
BACKGROUND: Peer relationships during childhood and adolescence are acknowledged to be negatively impacted by chronic pain; however, to date there has been no synthesis of this literature