Support for my video is support for me: A YouTube scoping review of videos including adolescents with chronic pain

Adolescents with chronic pain report feelings of social isolation, of being different, and lack of understanding from peers. These challenges suggest that these adolescents may not obtain the social support they require. Thus, they may have to find other venues through which to find social support. Adolescents are heavy users of social media as a venue to share experience and obtain information and adolescents with chronic pain may be no different. A scoping review of YouTube was conducted by searching videos using the terms 'youth with chronic pain' and 'teens with chronic pain'. Videos in English, targeting at and including an adolescent with chronic pain were included. All identified videos were screened for eligibility until 20 consecutive videos were excluded. For each included video the first 5 related videos suggested by YouTube were screened for eligibility. This selection process resulted in 18 included videos, with a total of 936 comments. Recurring themes in the videos' comments were identified using qualitative content analysis. Videos content mainly covered multidisciplinary treatment options, alternative treatments and impact of pain on daily life. While a variety of treatment options were discussed, details of treatment content were lacking. Comments reflected the overarching message "you are not alone!" and mainly focused on providing and receiving support, sharing suffering, and revealing the impact of pain on relationships and daily life. Despite potential challenges associated with social media, YouTube may be a promising platform for provision of social support for adolescents with chronic pain

Delivering transformative action in paediatric pain: a <i>Lancet Child &amp; Adolescent Health</i> Commission

Every infant, child, and adolescent will experience pain at times throughout their life. Childhood pain ranges from acute to chronic, and includes procedural, disease-related, breakthrough, and other types of pain. Despite its ubiquity, pain is a major challenge for individuals, families, health-care professionals, and societies. As a private mental experience, pain is often hidden and can go undiscussed or ignored. Undertreated, unrecognised, or poorly managed pain in childhood leads to important and long-lasting negative consequences that continue into adulthood, including continued chronic pain, disability, and distress. This undertreatment of pain should not continue, as there are available tools, expertise, and evidence to provide better treatment for childhood pain

Cultural influences on the assessment of children’s 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 children’s 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

Romantic relationships in youth with long term (chronic) physical health conditions: A scoping review protocol.

This project will involve conducting a systematically orientated scoping review to summarise what is known in the research literature concerning romantic relationships of youth and young adults with long term health conditions. An additional focus of the review is to identify gaps in the relevant literature and directions for future study

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 child’s 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 child’s acute pain needs. Two themes emerged– “Understanding my child’s pain: it’s karma” and “Maintaining Kreng Jai”– 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 “inner struggle in providing pain care.” 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 child’s 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