Exploring social connections in young people with chronic pain 1.

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Making connections: An exploration of the influence of social and relational connections in young people experiencing and coping with chronic pain.

• IRAS ID

  160051

• Contact name

  SUZANNE E DAVIS

• Contact email

  suzanne.davis@sch.nhs.uk; thefulwoodfour@hotmail.co.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust

• Research summary

  Paediatric chronic(pain lasting more than 3 months) is a growing problem affecting up to 30 percent of children and adolescents.

  Pain management is complex, often involving a number of different professionals. Interventions typically include education regarding pain, self-management strategies and aims towards improvement in physical, educational, psychological and social function.
  
  Increasing numbers of studies reflect intervention approaches from different perspectives. However literature search shows that there are few studies which explore accounts of individual experiences and the potential voice of young people to inform understanding and professional methods of practice.

  The Sheffield Children’s National Health Service Foundation Trust (SC NHS FT) Pain Management Team (PMT) offers nationally recognised specialist multi-professional pain management service for 0-19 year olds. Young people who have used the service can become very experienced in coping more effectively with pain and can be keen to share their expertise. This expertise has been captured in different of ways, but not within a formal study.

  This study hopes to collaborate with young people who have used the service by piloting and consulting on a semi-structured qualitative interview which will aim to:

  i) give voice to experiences of coping with pain in different settings, acknowledging both challenges and successes
  ii) explore the potential in capturing experience and expertise using the idea of a ‘coping self’ as an innovative strategy
  iii) give space to identify ideas and suggestions for others

  Study design includes individual qualitative interviews with experienced service users: 1-2 pilot/consultatory interviews and 2-4 further interviews.

  It is hoped that collaborating with young people in identifying themes within individual experiences and in exploring the idea of the ‘coping self’ as an additional self-management tool, might inform and enhance current practice. The interview structure itself may also prove useful in conducting further interviews and possibly give rise to a larger study.

• REC name

  London - Bloomsbury Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  14/LO/1462

• Date of REC Opinion

  15 Aug 2014

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion