Clinical trial NCT01986387: Virtual Peer-to-Peer (VP2P) Support Mentoring for Chronic Pain: A Pilot RCT
Official title: Virtual Peer-to-Peer (VP2P) Support Mentoring for Adolescents With Chronic Pain: A Feasibility Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Chronic Pain
Keywords: adolescent
Skype
peer mentorship
internet self-management
Lead sponsor: The Hospital for Sick Children
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2013-11-18
Enrollment: 30
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 12
Maximum age (years): 18
Standard ages: CHILD
ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Brief summary: Study Hypothesis: A virtual peer-to-peer support intervention will improve health outcomes and quality of life in adolescents with chronic pain.

Detailed description: The aim of this project is to develop and examine the impact of a virtual peer support program on health outcomes and quality of life of adolescents with chronic pain using a waitlist randomized controlled trial. In addition to standard medical care, adolescents in the experimental group will receive a manualized peer mentorship program that will provide modeling and reinforcement by trained young adults aged 16-25 years who have learned to function successfully with their pain. Mentoring sessions consist of 10 sessions of 30-45 minute Skype calls over 8 weeks. Feasibility of the program will be measured in addition to quality of life, physical and emotional symptoms, pain coping, self-efficacy, social support, and self-management skills.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* males and females 12-18 years old
* diagnosed chronic pain condition (e.g., neuropathic pain, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, chronic musculoskeletal pain, chronic daily headache, chronic widespread pain)
* able to speak and read English
* access to Internet connection, computer capable of using free Skype software
* willing and able to complete online measures.

Exclusion Criteria:

* significant cognitive impairments
* major co-morbid illnesses (i.e., psychiatric conditions) likely to influence HRQL assessment
* participating in peer support or self-management interventions (e.g., WebMap).

Primary outcomes:
measure: Feasibility
timeFrame: 2 months
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQL)
timeFrame: Baseline, 2 months
measure: Emotional Symptoms
timeFrame: Baseline, 2 months
measure: Pain Coping
timeFrame: Baseline, 2 months
measure: Self-Efficacy
timeFrame: Baseline, 2 months
measure: Social Support
timeFrame: Baseline, 2 months
measure: Disability
timeFrame: Baseline, 2 months
measure: Self-Management
timeFrame: Baseline, 2 months
measure: Pain
timeFrame: Baseline, 2 months
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Toronto
country: Canada
facility: Hospital for Sick Children
state: Ontario
Study officials:
affiliation: The Hospital for Sick Children
name: Jennifer N Stinson, RN,PhD,CPNP
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Ahola Kohut S, Stinson JN, Ruskin D, Forgeron P, Harris L, van Wyk M, Luca S, Campbell F. iPeer2Peer program: a pilot feasibility study in adolescents with chronic pain. Pain. 2016 May;157(5):1146-1155. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000000496.
citation: Ahola Kohut S, Stinson J, Forgeron P, Luca S, Harris L. Been There, Done That: The Experience of Acting as a Young Adult Mentor to Adolescents Living With Chronic Illness. J Pediatr Psychol. 2017 Oct 1;42(9):962-969. doi: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsx062.
citation: Ahola Kohut S, Stinson J, Forgeron P, van Wyk M, Harris L, Luca S. A qualitative content analysis of peer mentoring video calls in adolescents with chronic illness. J Health Psychol. 2018 May;23(6):788-799. doi: 10.1177/1359105316669877. Epub 2016 Sep 28.