Understanding the Experience of Functional Abdominal Pain Through Written Narratives by Families

Abstract Objective Although functional abdominal pain (FAP) is one of the most common pain problems in children, there is a lack of qualitative studies on this topic. Our aim was to increase knowledge in this field by testing an innovative written narrative methodology designed to approach the exper...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Pain medicine (Malden, Mass.) Mass.), 2020-06, Vol.21 (6), p.1093-1105
Main Authors: Nieto, Rubén, Sora, Beatriz, Boixadós, Mercè, Ruiz, Gemma
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abdomen
Abdominal pain
Abdominal Pain - diagnosis
Adaptation, Psychological
Care and treatment
Child
Children
Domestic relations
Emotional behavior
Emotions
Families & family life
Family
Health aspects
Humans
Internet
Narratives
Pain
Pain in children
Pain management
Parents
Social aspects
Well being
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Summary:Abstract Objective Although functional abdominal pain (FAP) is one of the most common pain problems in children, there is a lack of qualitative studies on this topic. Our aim was to increase knowledge in this field by testing an innovative written narrative methodology designed to approach the experiences of children with FAP and their parents. Methods We analyzed the FAP experiences of 39 families who completed a written narrative task (children and parents separately). Some of the families (N = 20) had previously completed an online psychosocial intervention, whereas others had not, because a complementary objective was to explore possible differences between parent and child narratives, and between those who had and had not completed the intervention. Results Families wrote about abdominal pain (characteristics, triggers, pain consequences, and coping strategies), their well-being, the diagnostic process, future expectations, and the positive effects of an online psychosocial intervention. Children tended to mention pain characteristics more, whereas parents tended to write more about triggers and the diagnostic process. Conclusions A written narrative methodology was found to be a useful approach for understanding families’ experiences. Results confirmed that FAP affects families at the emotional, behavioral, and social levels and that an online psychosocial intervention can help families.
ISSN:1526-2375
1526-4637
DOI:10.1093/pm/pnz147