The Clinical Utility of a Brief Psychological Stress Measure (Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System) in Youth with Chronic Pain

Recommendations for Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System pediatric measures in youth with chronic pain: a COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments systematic review of measurement properties

ABSTRACT

The Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) pediatric measures assess physical, emotional, and social health among children and adolescents. However, their measurement properties have not been systematically examined in youth with chronic pain. A systematic review applying the COnsensus based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) methodology was conducted to evaluate self-reported PROMIS pediatric measures in youth with chronic pain, assessing 8 measurement properties across all versions (item bank, short form, and computer adaptive testing) from 63 studies covering 25 measures. Moderate or high-quality evidence was most available for content validity, structural validity, internal consistency (measurement precision), and construct validity. Four short-form PROMIS pediatric measures-mobility, anxiety, depressive symptoms, and physical stress experiences-achieved recommendation for the use in chronic pain clinical trials; 7 approached recommendation and 14, including the commonly used PROMIS Pediatric Pain Interference Scale, would be recommended with further evidence. Recommendations were also provided for the use of each measure in observational studies. Overall, based on the existing evidence, a total of 11 self-reported PROMIS pediatric short-form measures, including pain intensity, pain behavior, mobility, sleep disturbance, sleep-related impairment, anxiety, depressive symptoms, psychological stress experiences, physical stress experiences, family relationships, and positive effect, are recommended or approaching recommendation for use in youth ages 8 to 19 years with chronic pain. Research is needed to further establish test-retest reliability, measurement errors, cross-cultural validity, and responsiveness. Future work should expand the evaluation of PROMIS pediatric measures in subpopulations of youth with chronic pain, particularly young children and those with neurodevelopmental disabilities.

Stress Numerical Rating Scale-11: Validation in Pediatric Inpatient and Outpatient Pain Settings

Stress is a commonly reported issue in pediatric populations of chronic and acute pain. Both outpatient and inpatient settings impose time constraints, which decreases opportunities to measure and address patient stress. The aim of these studies was to evaluate the validity of the Stress Numeric Rating Scale-11 (SNRS-11) in both inpatient and outpatient settings. The SNRS-11 is a single item stress measure ranging from 0 to 10 with endpoint anchors: 0 = "No stress" and 10 = "Highest stress possible". Results showed discriminative validity in the inpatient sample and convergent and discriminant validity in both outpatient and inpatient samples. Additionally, approximately 40% to 50% of the sample reported moderate-severe stress on all post-operative days. The SNRS-11 shows promise as a quick, easy, and free stress measure to be used in both inpatient and outpatient settings.

Profiles of Symptom Suffering and Functioning in Children and Adolescents Receiving Chemotherapy

BACKGROUND

Some children and adolescents receiving chemotherapy experience few symptom-related adverse events, whereas others experience multiple adverse events. If oncology nurses could identify patients likely to have pronounced chemotherapy-related adverse events, tailored supportive care could be matched to these patients' symptom burdens.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to identify symptom profiles in children and adolescents before and after chemotherapy, and the sociodemographic and psychological factors associated with profile classification and change.

METHODS

Participants ranging from 7 to 18 years (n = 436) completed 6 Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System pediatric symptom measures within 72 hours preceding (T1) and 1 to 2 weeks after (T2) chemotherapy. Profile membership and change were determined by latent profile/latent transition analyses. Associations with profiles and profile transitions were examined using multinomial logit models and logistic regression.

RESULTS

Three symptom suffering profiles were identified at T1 and T2: high, medium, and low. The high symptom suffering profile included the fewest participants (T1, n = 70; T2, n = 55); the low symptom suffering profile included the most participants (T1, n = 200; T2, n = 207). Of the participants, 57% remained in the same profile from T1 to T2. Psychological stress was significantly associated with T1 and T2 profile classifications and profile transition; age was associated with profile classification at T1.

CONCLUSION

Three symptom suffering profiles existed in a sample of pediatric patients undergoing chemotherapy, indicating that children and adolescents have differing cancer treatment experiences.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Oncology nurses could screen pediatric oncology patients for their symptom suffering profile membership and subsequently prioritize care efforts for those with a high suffering profile.

Definitions, theories, and measurement of stress in children

PROBLEM

Stress in children remains a complex concept to examine due to the inherent subjectivity and lack of specific manifestations, as well as the multiple ways stress can be defined and measured in children. Because stress is multifactorial,is experienced daily by children, and undergirds adolescent health and early mental illness, it is crucial to have a clear understanding of stress and the effects of stress in children from infancy through age twelve years.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

To be included in this review, literature must pertain to and highlight theories, definitions/classifications, and measurements of stress in children from infancy to 12 years of age.

SAMPLE

The most pertinent articles identified through database searches (PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Google Scholar), gray literature sources (e.g., child health websites), and reference lists of identified articles were included in this narrative overview.

RESULTS

The results of this review are organized by themes and include: classifications and definitions of stress, stress-related theories, and tools to measure stress in children.

CONCLUSIONS

Research addressing stressors and stress in children is limited, and there is wide variation in how researchers define and classify stress in children. Existing measures of stress in children younger than 12 address physiological, psychological, and observational components, but may be inconsistent and threaten validity of otherwise well-designed and well-executed studies.

IMPLICATIONS

Improving the understanding and accurate measurement of stress in children enables researchers and clinicians to curtail undesirable health outcomes.

Therapeutic journey of adolescents and young adults with severe dysmenorrhea and endometriosis

Introduction:

We aimed to appreciate the diagnostic and therapeutic journey of young women with endometriosis including disease presentation, obstacles to diagnosis and management, and impact on their life.

Methods:

We employed a mixed-method design, including chart review, 94-item questionnaire assembled from components of the EPHect EPQ-S and semi-structured interviews. The study setting was Kingston Health Sciences Centre in Kingston, Ontario. Participants were women under 28 years with severe dysmenorrhea. Questionnaire data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. Interviews were coded using the constant comparative analysis method by two analyzers and inter-rater reliability was calculated, then data were compared using a cross-sectional method.

Results:

Twenty-four participants were identified through chart review, 10 completed the questionnaire, and 5 participated in the interviews. Questionnaire participants, mean age 24.5 years ± 2.3, reported initial pelvic pain at a mean age of 13.9 years (SD 1.9). Fifty percent of participants have an endometriosis diagnosis, at a mean age of 19.2 years (SD 2.6). Three major themes emerged from our analysis. The journey with disease and therapy begins long before diagnosis and creates a culture of self-directed care. Lack of knowledge about endometriosis and women’s health by health care professionals and the public delays diagnosis and therapy. Endometriosis broadly impacts every aspect of an individual’s life.

Conclusion:

We found that young adults with severe dysmenorrhea and/or endometriosis present with symptoms at a young age. They encounter multiple obstacles in reaching a diagnosis and obtaining therapy. They often self-manage their pelvic pain and experience reduced quality of life.

Initial Adjustment to the COVID-19 Pandemic and the Associated Shutdown in Children and Adolescents With Chronic Pain and Their Families

Objectives: Youth with chronic pain often struggle to function in multiple domains due to pain and associated psychosocial distress. In 2020, schools and businesses shut down and people were encouraged to remain at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, eliminating or reducing stress due to functional difficulties. This study assessed whether pain and associated psychosocial outcomes improved in youth with chronic pain during the shutdown, compared with before the pandemic.

Methods: Patients who completed clinical outcome measures during a multidisciplinary evaluation before the pandemic were readministered the same measures (PROMIS Anxiety, Depression, Sleep Disturbance, PCS, PedsQL) during the shutdown. At follow-up, patients also completed measures of adjustment to COVID-19 and their parents completed a measure of pandemic effects.

Results: Participants included 47 patients ages 8–18 and a parent/guardian. The pandemic impacted families in both positive (e.g., more quality time with family) and negative ways (e.g., social isolation, disruption in care). Pain intensity and pain catastrophizing significantly decreased during the shutdown (ps <0.01). Change in pain catastrophizing was correlated positively with change in psychological stress (p = 0.004) and anxiety (p = 0.005) and negatively with change in quality of life (p = 0.024).

Discussion: Pain and pain catastrophizing decreased initially during the shutdown related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Change in catastrophizing was associated with change in stress and anxiety. It may be that the reduction in functional demands contributed to this change. Functional difficulties should be addressed in treatment, including pain coping and also environmental modification to support optimal functioning in youth with chronic pain.

Targeting the stress response in pediatric pain: current evidence for psychosocial intervention and avenues for future investigation

Nonpharmacological treatments for chronic pain in youth have been identified as first-line treatments over and above medication. Therapies such as cognitive-behavioral therapy and mindfulness-based stress reduction have shown good efficacy in reducing the psychological correlates (eg, anxiety, depression, and stress) and social or behavioral sequelae (eg, limited physical activity and lack of school engagement) associated with pediatric chronic pain. However, minimal research has examined the physiological mechanism(s) of action for these interventions. A recent review (Cunningham, et al., 2019) emphasized the need for objective (ie, physiological) assessment of treatment response in pediatric pain populations. The current review adds to this literature by identifying the physiological stress response as a particular target of interest in interventions for pediatric pain. Research indicates that youth with chronic pain report high rates of psychological stress, posttraumatic stress symptoms, and exposure to adverse childhood experiences (abuse/neglect, etc). In addition, a host of research has shown strong parallels between the neurobiology of pain processing and the neurobiology of stress exposure in both youth and adults. Interventions such as narrative or exposure therapy (eg, trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy) and mindfulness-based or meditation-based therapies have shown particular promise in alleviating the neurobiological impact that stress and pain can have on the body, including reduction in allostatic load and altered connectivity in multiple brain regions. However, no study to date has specifically looked at these factors in the context of pediatric pain treatment. Future research should further explore these constructs to optimize prevention in and treatment of these vulnerable populations.

Biomarkers of Allostatic Load as Correlates of Impairment in Youth with Chronic Pain: An Initial Investigation

Pediatric chronic pain is common and responsible for significant healthcare burden. However, the mechanisms underlying the development and/or maintenance of pediatric chronic pain remain poorly understood. Allostatic load (AL), or wear and tear on the nervous system following significant or prolonged stress, has been proposed to play a role in the maintenance of chronic pain, but minimal research has examined this possibility. This gap in research is particularly notable given the high exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs; abuse/neglect, etc.) and psychological stress in this population. Accordingly, the current study aimed to preliminarily examine the measurement of AL in a treatment-seeking pediatric pain population. Biomarkers were collected during an already scheduled new patient pain evaluation and included salivary cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), and C-reactive protein, in addition to waist-hip ratio, body-mass index, and blood pressure. A total of 61 children and adolescents with chronic pain (Mage = 14.47 years; 88.5% female and white/Caucasian) completed study procedures and were included in analyses. Preliminary results indicated that a multifactorial AL composite is feasible to assess for in a tertiary pain treatment setting and that over 50% of youth with chronic pain were classified as high risk for AL (two or more risk factors). Further, it was found that individual AL risk factors were significantly associated with functional disability and that AL may moderate the association between psychosocial and functional outcomes. Given the pilot nature of this study, results should be used to inform future investigations with larger and more diverse pediatric pain samples.

Subjective Toxicity Profiles of Children in Treatment for Cancer: A New Guide to Supportive Care?

CONTEXT

Children and adolescents with cancer experience treatment-related, subjective adverse events (AEs). Identifying distinct groups of patients who predictably experience higher prevalence of AEs could guide patient care.

OBJECTIVES

Study aims were to 1) identify groups of children and adolescents reporting AEs using the Pediatric Patient-Reported Outcomes version of the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (Ped-PRO-CTCAE); 2) determine whether demographic and clinical characteristics predict AE group membership; and 3) examine whether AE group membership was related to the distal outcome of psychological stress.

METHODS

Four hundred seventy-seven patients self-reported AEs via the Ped-PRO-CTCAE at T1 (beginning of treatment) and the PROMIS Pediatric Psychological Stress measure at T2 (7-28 days later). Latent class analysis was conducted to identify groups of patients and the relationships of the groups with demographic and clinical characteristics, and with stress.

RESULTS

Three distinct a priori unknown AE groups were identified (high AE prevalence, moderate AE prevalence, and low AE prevalence). Females, blacks, patients with high psychological stress, and patients more recently diagnosed were more likely to be in the high AE prevalence group. Gender, age, race, and time since diagnosis were associated with psychological stress.

CONCLUSION

Children with cancer are heterogeneous in experiencing subjective AEs. Gender, race, and time since diagnosis were significantly associated with higher subjective AE prevalence that may lead to psychological stress.