Childhood chronic pain and health care professional interactions: shaping the chronic pain experiences of children

Children with chronic pain meet numerous healthcare professionals during their search to understand their pain. Through semi-structured interviews, this qualitative study sought to understand the experiences of five children with chronic pain as they encountered healthcare professionals. In the majority of these interactions, children reported feeling misunderstood, disbelieved and abandoned. The findings of this study demonstrate that children's experiences with professionals influence their approach towards current and future healthcare encounters. All children discussed their guarded relationships with healthcare providers. Children also developed negative perceptions about their pain, in particular believing that their experience with chronic pain was life-threatening, and demanded major life adjustments. Interactions with healthcare professionals have a tremendous influence on children's perceptions and chronic pain experiences. In order to better understand and care for children with chronic pain, it is essential that healthcare professionals provide children with the opporunity to communicate their unique experiences with pain.