Virtual Peer-to-Peer (VP2P) Support Mentoring for Chronic Pain: A Pilot RCT

Virtual Peer-to-Peer (VP2P) Support Mentoring for Adolescents With Chronic Pain: A Feasibility Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

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

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Chronic Pain
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Virtual Peer-to-Peer Support Mentoring

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.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 30
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Canada
  • Ontario
    • Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5G 1X8
      • Hospital for Sick Children

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 12 years to 18 years (Child, Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

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).

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Health Services Research
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Virtual Peer-to-Peer Support Mentoring; In addition to standard medical care, adolescents in the experimental group will receive the VP2P support program, a manualized peer-mentorship program that will provide modeling and reinforcement by peers (young adults with chronic pain aged 16-25 years who have learned to function successfully with their chronic pain to the mentored participants).	Behavioral: Virtual Peer-to-Peer Support Mentoring; The mentorship program will encourage mentored participants to develop and engage in self-management and transition skills and support their practice of these skills. The mentors will present information to mentored participants in a monitored virtual interaction using Skype for 8 weeks (10 total Skype sessions of 30-60 minutes each) to encourage participation in skill building tailored to their needs. All mentors will complete a paid 2.5 day training course and will be supported throughout the duration of the study (consultations with research staff to deal with unforeseen concerns). Mentored participants will complete online outcome measures prior to randomization (T1) and upon study completion (T2).
No Intervention: Waitlist Control; The control group will receive usual care but without the mentorship intervention. They will be offered the VP2P support program after completion of outcome measures (T1 - to be completed online prior to randomization; T2 - at program completion).

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Feasibility	Accrual and Dropout Rates - recruitment and withdrawal rates will be calculated that the end of the study.; Compliance (Level of Engagement) - rates of completion of weekly calls and online outcome measures will be calculated that the end of the study - defined as 100% when the participant completes 10 calls over 8 weeks with all online measures completed.; Adolescents' Perception of Chronic Pain VP2P Program - the acceptability of and satisfaction with the Chronic Pain VP2P support program as measured through semi-structured phone interviews with mentees and focus groups with mentors; Estimates of Intervention Effects (e.g., effect sizes, variance measures/standard deviation) on health outcomes to inform the calculation of an appropriate sample size for the future definitive multi-centred randomized controlled trial (RCT)	2 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQL)	HRQL will be measured by using the 61-item Bath Adolescent Pain Questionnaire, which assesses the impact of chronic pain in adolescence in terms of physical, psychological and social functioning.	Baseline, 2 months
Emotional Symptoms	Anxiety and depression will each be assessed using two, separate 8-item Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) scales.	Baseline, 2 months
Pain Coping	Pain coping will be measured using the 18-item Pain Coping Questionnaire, which is an internationally used measure of pain coping strategies in the pediatric population.	Baseline, 2 months
Self-Efficacy	Self-efficacy will be measured using a 10-item Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (PSEQ) that assesses the confidence people have in performing activities while in pain.	Baseline, 2 months
Social Support	Social support will be measured with the 12-item Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support questionnaire that explores the impact that family, friends and significant others as social support.	Baseline, 2 months
Disability	Disability will be measured using the 15-item Functional Disability Inventory, which assesses physical functioning and disability in youth with chronic pain.	Baseline, 2 months
Self-Management	Self-management was measured using Self-Management Skills Assessment Guide, which was developed by Alberta Children's Hospital and consists of 21 items assessing adolescents' awareness of their health condition and ability to make decisions relevant to their health care needs (cite).	Baseline, 2 months
Pain	Pain will be measured using the Brief Pain Inventory - Short Form (BPISF). The 9-item measure assesses the severity of pain and its impact on daily functions.	Baseline, 2 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: The Hospital for Sick Children
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Jennifer N Stinson, RN,PhD,CPNP, The Hospital for Sick Children

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: July 1, 2013
• Primary Completion (Actual): May 1, 2015
• Study Completion (Actual): December 1, 2016

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: November 11, 2013
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 11, 2013
• First Posted (Estimate): November 18, 2013

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): January 3, 2018
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 29, 2017
• Last Verified: December 1, 2017

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: adolescent; peer mentorship; Skype; internet self-management
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Chronic Pain
• Other Study ID Numbers: 1000036188