COPING STRATEGIES AND LABORATORY PAIN IN CHILDREN WITH SICKLE-CELL DISEASE

Studies have found that coping strategies are significant predictors o f pain report, health care use, and psychosocial adjustment in childre n with sickle cell disease (SCD); however; the mechanisms of the relat ionship are not cleat: In this study, 41 children with SCD completed a laboratory pain task to analyze their pain perception under standardi zed conditions. Sensory decision theory analyses were used to analyze the pain perception data. Children and their parents also completed me asures of coping strategies and adjustment Hierarchical regression ana lyses controlling for the child's age indicated that children who repo rted using active cognitive and behavioral coping strategies had a low er tendency to report pain during the laboratory pain task Results are discussed in terms of the utility of using laboratory pain models wit h children and the need for future intervention studies to target copi ng strategies in children with SCD pain.