Non-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Psychological Interventions May Not Make the Difference in Children and Adolescents With Chronic Pain

Lauren Perlman,1,* Naomi Malka,1,* Oliver Terry,1,* Alex Nguyen,1 Lucas Guimarães Ferreira Fonseca,2 Juan I Ingelmo,3 Pablo Ingelmo2,4– 7 1Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; 2Edwards Family Interdisciplinary Center for Complex Pa...

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Main Authors: Perlman L, Malka N, Terry O, Nguyen A, Guimarães Ferreira Fonseca L, Ingelmo JI, Ingelmo P
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Dove Medical Press 2025-03-01
Series:Journal of Pain Research
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Online Access:https://www.dovepress.com/non-cognitive-behavioral-therapy-psychological-interventions-may-not-m-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-JPR
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author Perlman L
Malka N
Terry O
Nguyen A
Guimarães Ferreira Fonseca L
Ingelmo JI
Ingelmo P
author_facet Perlman L
Malka N
Terry O
Nguyen A
Guimarães Ferreira Fonseca L
Ingelmo JI
Ingelmo P
author_sort Perlman L
collection DOAJ
description Lauren Perlman,1,* Naomi Malka,1,* Oliver Terry,1,* Alex Nguyen,1 Lucas Guimarães Ferreira Fonseca,2 Juan I Ingelmo,3 Pablo Ingelmo2,4– 7 1Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; 2Edwards Family Interdisciplinary Center for Complex Pain, Montreal Children’s Hospital, McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC, Canada; 3Department of Mental Health, Jose de San Martin Clinical Hospital, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina; 4Department of Anesthesia, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; 5Division of Pediatric Anesthesia Montreal Children’s Hospital, McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC, Canada; 6Research Institute, McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC, Canada; 7The Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Pablo Ingelmo, Edwards Family Interdisciplinary Center for Complex Pain, Montreal Children’s Hospital A02-3525.1, 1001 Boul, Decarie, Montreal, QC, H41 3J1, Canada, Tel +1 514 412 4448, Fax +1 514 412 4341, Email pablo.ingelmo@mcgill.caBackground and Aim: Chronic pain in pediatric populations presents a multifaceted challenge with biopsychosocial impact, requiring a multidisciplinary approach including psychological treatment. At our interdisciplinary pain center, the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic-related disruptions led to the cessation of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and other psychological interventions during the pandemic. The aim of this retrospective cohort study with secondary retrospective matched case–control analysis was to evaluate the impact of interruption of non-CBT psychological interventions, namely psychoanalysis and psychodynamic psychotherapy, on children and adolescents with chronic pain conditions during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.Materials and Methods: We included pediatric patients with primary and secondary chronic pain conditions evaluated by our team during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. We excluded patients who did not receive psychological intervention when available, those with incomplete data on initial evaluation or follow-up, and those who received outside psychiatric care or individual or group CBT. The primary outcome was a Patients’ Global Impression of Change (PGIC) score of 6– 7. Secondary outcome measures were pain intensity, use of pain medication, sleep, physical function, school attendance, the incidence of suicidality, and the reason for end of treatment.Results: The study included 146 patients, 77 who received non-CBT psychological interventions and 69 who did not receive any psychological interventions. We found no meaningful difference between the use of non-CBT psychological intervention and no treatment in the incidence of PGIC 6– 7 points, pain intensity, school attendance, physical function, suicidality, and cause of end of treatment. Patients not receiving any psychological interventions were more likely to have normalized sleep at the end of treatment.Conclusion: Non-CBT psychological interventions, namely psychoanalysis and psychodynamic psychotherapy, were not associated with meaningful benefits for children and adolescents with chronic pain during the COVID-19 pandemic. Patients who did not receive psychological interventions reported normalization of their sleep at the end of treatment compared to those who participated in non-CBT interventions.Keywords: psychotherapy, adolescents, children, chronic pain, cognitive behavioral therapy
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spelling doaj-art-20b321cbfb4a4e1b8151a6b337ac8a3e2025-08-20T03:39:45ZengDove Medical PressJournal of Pain Research1178-70902025-03-01Volume 1814511464101334Non-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Psychological Interventions May Not Make the Difference in Children and Adolescents With Chronic PainPerlman LMalka NTerry ONguyen AGuimarães Ferreira Fonseca LIngelmo JIIngelmo PLauren Perlman,1,* Naomi Malka,1,* Oliver Terry,1,* Alex Nguyen,1 Lucas Guimarães Ferreira Fonseca,2 Juan I Ingelmo,3 Pablo Ingelmo2,4– 7 1Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; 2Edwards Family Interdisciplinary Center for Complex Pain, Montreal Children’s Hospital, McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC, Canada; 3Department of Mental Health, Jose de San Martin Clinical Hospital, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina; 4Department of Anesthesia, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; 5Division of Pediatric Anesthesia Montreal Children’s Hospital, McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC, Canada; 6Research Institute, McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC, Canada; 7The Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Pablo Ingelmo, Edwards Family Interdisciplinary Center for Complex Pain, Montreal Children’s Hospital A02-3525.1, 1001 Boul, Decarie, Montreal, QC, H41 3J1, Canada, Tel +1 514 412 4448, Fax +1 514 412 4341, Email pablo.ingelmo@mcgill.caBackground and Aim: Chronic pain in pediatric populations presents a multifaceted challenge with biopsychosocial impact, requiring a multidisciplinary approach including psychological treatment. At our interdisciplinary pain center, the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic-related disruptions led to the cessation of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and other psychological interventions during the pandemic. The aim of this retrospective cohort study with secondary retrospective matched case–control analysis was to evaluate the impact of interruption of non-CBT psychological interventions, namely psychoanalysis and psychodynamic psychotherapy, on children and adolescents with chronic pain conditions during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.Materials and Methods: We included pediatric patients with primary and secondary chronic pain conditions evaluated by our team during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. We excluded patients who did not receive psychological intervention when available, those with incomplete data on initial evaluation or follow-up, and those who received outside psychiatric care or individual or group CBT. The primary outcome was a Patients’ Global Impression of Change (PGIC) score of 6– 7. Secondary outcome measures were pain intensity, use of pain medication, sleep, physical function, school attendance, the incidence of suicidality, and the reason for end of treatment.Results: The study included 146 patients, 77 who received non-CBT psychological interventions and 69 who did not receive any psychological interventions. We found no meaningful difference between the use of non-CBT psychological intervention and no treatment in the incidence of PGIC 6– 7 points, pain intensity, school attendance, physical function, suicidality, and cause of end of treatment. Patients not receiving any psychological interventions were more likely to have normalized sleep at the end of treatment.Conclusion: Non-CBT psychological interventions, namely psychoanalysis and psychodynamic psychotherapy, were not associated with meaningful benefits for children and adolescents with chronic pain during the COVID-19 pandemic. Patients who did not receive psychological interventions reported normalization of their sleep at the end of treatment compared to those who participated in non-CBT interventions.Keywords: psychotherapy, adolescents, children, chronic pain, cognitive behavioral therapyhttps://www.dovepress.com/non-cognitive-behavioral-therapy-psychological-interventions-may-not-m-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-JPRpsychotherapyadolescentschildrenchronic paincognitive behavioral therapy.
spellingShingle Perlman L
Malka N
Terry O
Nguyen A
Guimarães Ferreira Fonseca L
Ingelmo JI
Ingelmo P
Non-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Psychological Interventions May Not Make the Difference in Children and Adolescents With Chronic Pain
Journal of Pain Research
psychotherapy
adolescents
children
chronic pain
cognitive behavioral therapy.
title Non-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Psychological Interventions May Not Make the Difference in Children and Adolescents With Chronic Pain
title_full Non-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Psychological Interventions May Not Make the Difference in Children and Adolescents With Chronic Pain
title_fullStr Non-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Psychological Interventions May Not Make the Difference in Children and Adolescents With Chronic Pain
title_full_unstemmed Non-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Psychological Interventions May Not Make the Difference in Children and Adolescents With Chronic Pain
title_short Non-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Psychological Interventions May Not Make the Difference in Children and Adolescents With Chronic Pain
title_sort non cognitive behavioral therapy psychological interventions may not make the difference in children and adolescents with chronic pain
topic psychotherapy
adolescents
children
chronic pain
cognitive behavioral therapy.
url https://www.dovepress.com/non-cognitive-behavioral-therapy-psychological-interventions-may-not-m-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-JPR
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