The familial effects of chronic pain
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Attachment as moderator to the relationship between maternal chronic pain and child pain complaints
IRAS ID
195347
Contact name
Movita Chapman-Moyle
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry)
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 8 months, 1 days
Research summary
Is attachment a moderator to the relationship between maternal chronic pain and child pain complaints?
This project will examine whether the transmission of pain complaints and/or pain behaviour is more or less likely to occur in children of mothers who sufferer chronic pain with an organic aetiology, such as rheumatoid arthritis, than with an ambiguous aetiology, such as fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS), and the extent to which this is moderated by the parent/child attachment relationship. A moderator (in this case, attachment) alters the strength of an effect, or relationship between two variables (in this case, maternal chronic pain and child pain complaints).
Around 18% of the UK population (approx. 11.5 million) suffer with chronic pain conditions, with generally more women suffering than men (approx. = 5:1) (www.patient.co.uk/doctor/chronic-pain). Many of these women are in their child-bearing years, meaning they are struggling to bring up children whilst contending with an unforgiving pain condition. Consequently, existing research in this area has found an increased level of pain complaints in these children than in children from either other chronic illness families, or healthy families, raising the risk of them developing somatic pain in later years (Dura and Beck, 1988; Kozlowska, 2009). By understanding the underlying mechanisms that facilitate child pain complaints, as well as its maturational progression, emerging child pain behaviours may be identified and early interventions developed.
Two groups of families with either maternal rheumatoid arthritis or maternal fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS), comprising of children aged between 5-12, will be recruited from Derriford Pain Management Clinic and asked to complete verified questionnaires, attachment tests, and video recorded home observations.
Data collection will take place at Derriford Pain Management Clinic (questionnaires), Plymouth University (attachment tests), and patient homes (family interactions). This will be a phased study (4-stages) over 3-4 years commencing in February-March 2016.REC name
South West - Cornwall & Plymouth Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/SW/0140
Date of REC Opinion
31 May 2016
REC opinion
Unfavourable Opinion