Psychological symptoms in children of parents with chronic pain—the HUNT study

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate the associations between parental chronic pain and anxiety, depression, and conduct problems in adolescents. The current study was based on cross-sectional surveys performed during 2006 to 2008 from the Nord Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT 3 and Young-HUNT 3). The sample consisted of 3227 adolescents aged 13 to 18years for whom information was available on parental chronic pain and health statuses. Separate analyses were conducted for girls and boys. The results indicated that if both parents experienced chronic pain, there was an increased risk of symptoms of anxiety and depression in girls (OR=2.17, CI=1.36–3.45, P=.001) and boys (OR=2.33, CI=1.17–4.63, P=.016) compared with children for whom neither parent had chronic pain. Girls had an increased risk of conduct problems in school if their mothers had chronic pain (OR=1.33, CI=1.02–1.74, P=.034). These results remained after adjusting for the possible effects of confounding factors and parental mental health. The results suggest that the presence of both maternal and paternal chronic pain is a high risk factor for internalizing symptoms in both girls and boys. The present study offers insights that should prove useful in clinical work and further large-scale research.