Future goals of adolescents and young adults with chronic musculoskeletal pain.
BACKGROUND
Chronic non-specific musculoskeletal pain is a common problem among adolescents. This study investigates the importance of future goals and goal frustration for adolescents and young adults with chronic musculoskeletal pain compared to healthy adolescents. It also explores the impact that pain intensity, pain catastrophizing and depressive symptoms have on goal frustration for adolescents with chronic pain.


METHODS
Using a cross-sectional design, we compared the importance and frustration of future goals for 42 adolescents and young adults with chronic musculoskeletal pain (41 women, 1 man) to those of 42 adolescents without pain (35 women, 7 men). For the adolescents with chronic pain, we also examined levels of pain intensity, pain catastrophizing and depressive symptoms to assess their ability to explain goal frustration levels. Statistics included t-tests, Mann-Whitney test and multivariate regression analysis.


RESULTS
We found no differences in the importance of future goals, except for goals related to health, which were more important for adolescents with chronic pain (p = 0.03). Furthermore, adolescents with chronic pain perceived higher levels of goal frustration in all domains, except that related to school (p = 0.16). Depression explained goal frustration related to personal values (p = 0.02), social acceptance (p < 0.01), self-acceptance (p < 0.01) and health (p < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Dealing with chronic pain in adolescence and early adulthood does not seem to change future goals, but is associated with perceiving barriers to achieving them. The level of depressive symptoms seems to influence this relationship. Some caution is required in generalizing the results due to the relatively low number of male participants.
Adelante Centre of Expertise in Rehabilitation and Audiology, Hoensbroek, The Netherlands.|Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Zuyderland Medical Centre, Heerlen, The Netherlands.|RAP Rehabilitation Clinic, Heerlen, The Netherlands.
N C
NC
Stommen
Adelante Centre of Expertise in Rehabilitation and Audiology, Hoensbroek, The Netherlands.|Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Centre, The Netherlands.
J A
JA
Verbunt
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Centre, The Netherlands.|Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Maastricht University, The Netherlands.
M E
ME
Goossens
D000293:Adolescent; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D058443:Catastrophization / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D006040:Goals; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D059352:Musculoskeletal Pain / Q000523:psychology*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012649:Self Concept; D055815:Young Adult