Papers of the Week

More could be known about baseline factors related to desirable Intensive Interdisciplinary Pain Treatment (IIPT) outcomes. This study examined how baseline characteristics (age, gender, child pain catastrophizing (PCS-C), pain interference, pain intensity, anxiety, depression, paediatric health-related quality of life (PedsQL), and parent catastrophizing (PCS-P)) were associated with discharge and 3-month follow-up scores of PCS-C, pain intensity, and pain interference. PCS-C, pain intensity, and pain interference T-scores were acquired in 45 IIPT patients aged 12-18 at intake (baseline), discharge, and 3-month follow-up. Using available and imputed data, linear mixed models were developed to explore associations between PCS-C, pain intensity, and pain interference aggregated scores at discharge and follow-up with baseline demographics and a priori selected baseline measures of pain, depression, anxiety, and PCS-C/P. PCS-C and pain interference scores decreased over time compared to baseline. Pain intensity did not change significantly. Baseline PCS-C, pain interference, anxiety, depression, and PedsQL were associated with discharge/follow-up PCS-C (available and imputed data) and pain interference scores (available data). Only baseline pain intensity was significantly associated with itself at discharge/follow-up. : Participants who completed the IIPT program presented with reduced PCS-C and pain interference over time. Interventions that target pre-treatment anxiety and depression may optimize IIPT outcomes.