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Trial Lecture – time and place
See Trial Lecture.
Adjudication committee
- First opponent: Professor Stefan Nilsson, University of Gothenburg,
- Second opponent: Researcher Marianne Halvorsen, University Hospital of North Norway,
- Third member and chair of the evaluation committee: Professor II Hilde Berner Hammer, University of Oslo
Chair of the Defence
Professor emerita Ragnhild Hellesø, University of Oslo
Principal Supervisor
Researcher Randi Dovland Andersen, Telemark Hospital Trust
Summary
Children with cerebral palsy (CP) have increased risk of pain, and the pain is assumed to be undertreated. This is a serious health problem and can affect many areas of the life of both the child and their parents, such as daily activities, mental health, sleep, participation and quality of life.
The aim of this thesis was to develop in-depth knowledge on how children and their parents experience and manage the child’s pain. Such knowledge will help us understand children and families better and enable health services to offer the best possible support.
Data were collected in semi-structured interviews of fifteen children and parents separately and analyzed with thematic analysis and dyad analysis.
Children and parents talked about individual and unique experiences.
The child’s pain affected everyday life for both the child and the parents by demanding time and energy, and the pain had a negative impact on the mental health of both children and parents.
The participants had experienced receiving little help with pain management: the children felt there was little others could do to help with their pain, and the parents felt alone in understanding the complex whole, of which they considered the child’s pain only one part.
Children and parents described a varied repertoire of pain-relieving strategies. In all families, child and parent differed in their descriptions of beneficial pain management strategies. The children described more cognitive strategies, while the parents described more professional treatment strategies.
Both children and parents expressed a need for more help and support with pain management strategies. Pain education should be included in the follow-up, not least guidance on psychological strategies for pain management. Help and support must be adapted to the individual family in close dialogue with both the child and the parents.
Additional information
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