Objective: To evaluate patterns of relationships between pain characteristics, peer difficulties, and emotional functioning in a sample of adolescents seeking treatment for chronic pain.
Methods: Participants were 172 adolescents (age M = 14.88 years; 76% female, 88% White) with heterogeneous chronic pain disorders who completed measures of pain characteristics, peer difficulties, and emotional functioning before their new patient appointment in a pain management clinic. Direct and indirect relationships between variables were tested using path analysis.
Results: Adequate model fit was found for models that specified emotional functioning (anxiety and depression) as a mediator of the relationship between pain interference and peer difficulties. Conversely, poor fit was found for all models specifying peer difficulties as a mediator of the relationship between pain characteristics and emotional functioning.
Conclusions: Assessing and targeting depression and anxiety among youth with high pain interference may help prevent or improve peer difficulties.
Keywords: adolescents; anxiety; chronic pain; depression; peer difficulties.
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