Examining the Association Between Parental Stress Related to Child Illness and Child Pain Across Acupuncture Treatments

Abstract

Background: Pediatric chronic pain not only affects the child but also has a ripple effect on the entire family.While several studies have shown that acupuncture is beneficial for decreasing pain intensity in adults, few studies have examined the effectiveness of acupuncture in children and adolescence as well as the impact of acupuncture on the association between parent stress and child pain.Objective: This study examined whether two acupuncture treatments may help reduce child pain and parent stress as well as examining the bidirectional relationship between parent stress and child pain across the two treatments. Design: The study was a pre/post test design. Participants completed the Pediatric Inventory for Parents and Faces Pain Scale-Revised at baseline and at the conclusion of the second acupuncture treatment (at Time 2). Setting: Participants were recruited from a pain clinic at an academic pediatric hospital. Patients: Parent-child dyads (N = 29; M age = 14.13; standard deviation = 2.43) participated in the study. Results: Child pain and parent stress significantly decreased after two acupuncture treatments. Child pain significantly predicted parent stress frequency, difficulty, and stress frequency, while parent stress difficulty significantly predicted child pain at baseline. At T2, there was a bidirectional relationship between parent stress frequency, difficulty and child pain. Conclusions: These findings suggest that acupuncture is beneficial for reducing child pain and parent stress. The results also emphasize the bidirectional relationship between parent stress frequency and the child's perception of pain.

O uso da acupuntura para dor em pacientes pediátricos oncológicos: revisão integrativa

“…Mesmo que o tratamento da dor possa diminuir as dificuldades que os pais sentem, pode ser difícil eliminá-las completamente enquanto a criança estiver doente, influenciando na forma como o paciente pediátrico percebe sua dor. Por isso, achar uma maneira de amenizar o estresse que familiares sentem é importante para ajudar a aliviar a dor da criança e do adolescente e promover a sua saúde mental (Meyer et al, 2014).…”

Acupuncture for Pediatric Pain

“…Children were moderately receptive to acupuncture therapy for their chronic pain symptoms [ 25 ]. Parental experience with acupuncture, regardless of its perceived efficacy, appears to play in a role in parents’ consideration of acupuncture for their child [ 26 ]. Parental stress was found to decrease along with child discomfort following acupuncture therapy for the child [ 27 ].…”

Efficacy of Integrative Body-Mind-Spirit Group Intervention for Parents of Children With Eczema: A Randomized, Wait-List Controlled Clinical Trial

“…However, it is also common for parents to internalize their stress and feelings because emotional support from family members can rarely be attained, particularly in light of tension among family members due to their diversified opinions in handling the problem (Neill et al, 2013). In addition, the inflamed and reddish skin can easily lead to social stigmatization for the children, which can further induce negative emotions for their parents (Meyer et al, 2014). Furthermore, the unpredictable nature of the disease can also seriously affect family daily routines and the social life of the parents.…”