Long-term effects of a brief distraction intervention on children's laboratory pain reactivity.
This 2-year follow-up study examined the effects of a brief behavioral intervention on task-based coping and pain reactivity to the cold pressor task (CPT). In the original study by Fanurik et al. (1993), 64 children (aged 8 to 10) whose coping style was categorized as "attender" or "distracter," based on primary coping strategy during baseline CPT trials, received a 5-minute intervention (attention-focusing, distraction training, or control, randomly assigned). In the present study, 51 (32 female) of the original sample were readministered the CPT, and their coping style and pain responsivity were reassessed. Both distracters and attenders given distraction training preferred use of distraction at follow-up. The distraction training group also demonstrated greater tolerance at follow-up compared to controls, although pain ratings did not differ by intervention group. Our findings suggest that a brief distraction intervention has long-term effects on task-based coping and experimental pain reactivity.
Tsao
Jennie C I
JC
University of Florida College of Health Professions, USA. jtsao@hp.ufl.edu
Fanurik
Debra
D
Zeltzer
Lonnie K
LK
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain / Q000175:diagnosis*; D059408:Pain Management; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011897:Random Allocation; D013995:Time; D013997:Time Factors