Child pain‐related injustice appraisals mediate the relationship between just‐world beliefs and pain‐related functioning

Abstract

Background

Research among adult and paediatric samples suggests that pain‐related injustice appraisals contribute to adverse pain‐related functioning. However, a singular focus on pain‐related injustice appraisals carries the risk of underestimating the role of broader concepts of justice. This study examined the unique roles of child pain‐related injustice appraisals and just‐world beliefs in understanding disability and physical, emotional, social and academic functioning, as well as the mediating role of injustice appraisals in the relationship between just‐world beliefs and functioning.

Methods

Participants comprised a school sample of 2,174 children (Study 1) and a clinical sample of 146 paediatric chronic pain patients (Study 2) who completed the Injustice Experience Questionnaire (IEQ), Personal and General Belief in a Just World scales (JWB‐P/G), Functional Disability Inventory (FDI), Pain Catastrophizing Scale for Children (PCS‐C) and Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PEDSQL).

Results

For both samples, child pain‐related injustice appraisals were associated with poorer functioning, after controlling for just‐world beliefs, catastrophizing, pain intensity, age and sex. In the school sample, injustice appraisals mediated the associations of both personal and general just‐world beliefs with functioning. In the clinical sample, injustice appraisals mediated the association of personal, but not general, just‐world beliefs with all functioning scales.

Conclusions

The current findings attest to the unique role of pain‐related injustice appraisals in understanding child pain‐related functioning and their explanatory value in understanding the relationship between fundamental just‐world beliefs and child pain‐related functioning.

Significance

The present study adds to emerging literature on the adverse effects of child pain‐related injustice appraisals in the context of pain, through showing that pain‐related injustice appraisals are uniquely associated with pain‐related functioning and mediate the relationship between just‐world beliefs and pain‐related functioning. These findings suggest that interventions may target pain‐related injustice appraisals as a mechanism for change in children.

from Wiley: European Journal of Pain: Table of Contents https://ift.tt/3vKvnTm
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