Overview
Recurrent or persistent pain and psychological distress are alarmingly common problems among adolescents, in Sweden as well as globally. They often co-occur and have been shown to be predictors of sustained problems in adulthood. Adequate treatment early on in the development of problems has been shown important in order to decrease the risk of sustained problems in adulthood but available treatments have only modest effects. There is thus a need for treatment development, not in the least for (secondary) preventative purposes. The aim of this project is therefore to develop an evidence based and cost-effective secondary preventative intervention. Specifically, this project aims to develop and test a physiotherapist led treatment for adolescents with recurrent or persistent pain and psychological distress based upon graded exposure to physical activity and reactivation.
Description
See description of arms and intervention.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria:
- Age 12-19
- Psychological distress, such as anxiety, depressive symptoms or stress, ≥2 on a numeric rating scale 0-6 (0=not at all, 6=to a great extent)
- Persistent (consistently or weekly recurrent) musculoskeletal pain problems for ≥3 months, with pain intensity ≥2 on a numeric rating scale 0-6 (0=not at all, 6=to a great extent)
- Presence of avoidance behaviour and/or or worry about symptoms/problems, ≥1 on a numeric rating scale 0-6 (0=not at all, 6=to a great extent); > 50 on at least one activity of the PHODA.
- Swedish speaking and able to fill out questionnaires
Exclusion Criteria:
- Serious/malignant disease
- Participation in other rehabilitation program
- Severe mental health problems
- Substance abuse
- Severe learning disabilities