A GROUP FOR PARENTS OF YOUTH WITH CHRONIC PAIN: RATIONALE, STRUCTURE, CONTENT, AND PRELIMINARY OUTCOME DATA

Parenting a youth with chronic pain can be challenging and have a significant impact relationally, emotionally and financially on caregivers (Palermo, 2000; Lewandowski et al., 2010). There is a growing literature indicating that parent emotions (e.g., anxiety, depression), cognitions (e.g., coping, pain catastrophizing), and behaviours (e.g., attending to pain symptoms) can moderate a child’s adjustment to chronic pain (Logan & Scharff, 2005; Palermo et al., 2014; Palermo & Eccleston, 2008). Therefore, intervening with parents of youth with chronic pain is believed to foster better outcomes regarding children’s functioning (e.g., school attendance; Coakley & Wihak, 2017)