To identify latent profiles of youth based on pain and mental health symptoms and examine associations with sociodemographic factors (age, sex, ethnicity) and pandemic-related factors (COVID-19 impact).
Key Findings:
Five distinct subgroups of youth with chronic pain were identified based on mental health symptoms, highlighting the clinical significance of these profiles.
42.2% reported sub-clinical mental health symptoms with the lowest pain.
12.5% were in a 'sub-clinical mental health symptoms/high pain' group.
34.6% fell into a 'moderate mental health symptoms/moderate pain' profile.
6.6% and 4.1% were in clinically concerning groups with high mental health symptoms and high pain.
Interpretation:
Youth with chronic pain exhibit heterogeneous experiences of mental health during the pandemic, influenced by sociodemographic and contextual factors, underscoring the need for tailored pain management approaches that address individual vulnerabilities.
Limitations:
Cross-sectional design limits causal inferences, making it difficult to establish direct relationships.
Sample may not be representative of all youth with chronic pain, potentially affecting the generalizability of the findings.
Conclusion:
The study underscores the importance of recognizing distinct subgroups among youth with chronic pain to inform personalized interventions, especially during periods of acute stress like the COVID-19 pandemic.
by Fareha Nishat, Sarah Brennenstuhl, Nicole E. MacKenzie, Sakib Tariq, Kathryn A. Birnie, Melanie Noel, Chitra Lalloo, Sabine Soltani, Jennifer N. Stinson
