Cognitive behavioral group intervention for pain and well-being in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis: a study of feasibility and preliminary efficacy

Pain is still a part of everyday living for several children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) despite improvement in treatment. Psychological interventions may contribute to diminish pain complaints and improve well-being in children with JIA. Only few studies have investigated the efficacy of psychological therapy in children with arthritis and with mixed results.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a cognitive behavioral therapy group intervention for children with JIA and their parents.

Nineteen children with JIA and their parents were allocated to six sessions’ group cognitive-behavioral therapy (n = 9) or a waitlist control condition (n = 10). Results were measured from self-reported scales and one-week pain diaries. Clinical data was collected by a rheumatologist.

The participation rate was low; 33 % of the invited families participated. However, the participants rated the intervention’s credibility and satisfaction with the intervention as high. The dropout rate was low and attendance rate high. Increased quality of life and improvements in adaptive pain cognitions was reported in the intervention condition compared to the waitlist condition, whereas no differences were found for pain and functional disability. The disease activity increased in the treatment condition but not in the control condition.

The feasibility of this study seemed high with regards to the acceptability of the families participating in the intervention. However, the feasibility in general was challenged by implementation problems with a low participation rate. A reduction in pain after the intervention was not found even though pain management was the main target in the intervention. Preliminary analysis showed that although the severity of the disease status increased, an increase in quality of life, reduction in pain catastrophizing, and an improvement in adaptive pain cognitions (the beliefs in controlling pain and self-efficacy) were seen in the intervention condition. The study highlights the importance of considering the disease status when evaluating the efficacy of a psychological intervention in children with arthritis. Conclusions on the strength of the efficacy require further research in a large, randomized controlled trial.