Do You Feel What I Feel? Parental Perception of Pain Intensities, Level of Suffering, and Pain Impairment in Chronic Pain in Children and Adolescents

Introduction

Ratings of pain intensities, level of suffering, and impairment through pain are important factors informing physicians and pain therapists with respect to therapy choice. This study aimed to investigate the concordance of children's and their parents’ ratings and the relationship of pain-related measures with psychopathological variables.

Methods

Children diagnosed with chronic pain disorders and comorbid psychiatric disorders (depression, anxiety, trauma-, and stress-related disorders according to ICD-10; N = 152, n = 103 females and n = 49 males; mean age 15.5 years, age range 11–17 years) and their parents (N = 195, n = 120 mothers/n = 75 fathers) were assessed with ratings of mean and maximum pain level. Impairment through pain and level of suffering were assessed with respective questionnaires.

Results

Fathers rated maximum pain lower than their children or mothers, while mothers rated the level of the child's pain suffering higher than their children or fathers. Both mothers and fathers underestimated the medium pain level compared to the children's assessment. We found intercorrelations of pain ratings and psychopathological measures.

Conclusions

Discrepancies in pain-related ratings in children with chronic pain and mental diagnoses indicate that the full picture of children's and both parents’ ratings should be considered for the adequate choice of therapeutic strategies and settings whenever possible.