Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Pain in Children and Adolescents

Abstract

This online resource provides a practical guide for implementing cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for children and their families coping with the consequences of persisting pain. It is divided into three sections. The first section presents a brief history, theoretical foundations, and background concerning the development of CBT interventions for children with chronic pain conditions and summarizes research results on the efficacy of CBT. The second section covers assessment and evaluation approaches, patient education, and how to structure and sequence CBT interventions with children and families. The final section describes in detail each cognitive-behavioral intervention, including relaxation and cognitive skills and interventions directed at parents, sleep problems, physical activity, and school functioning. Extensive suggested dialogue and detailed instructions and forms are included, and accompanying appendices provide user-friendly therapist training materials for successful application of clinical techniques to children and families.