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

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).

Conductual: Tutoría virtual de apoyo entre pares

El programa de tutoría alentará a los participantes asesorados a desarrollar y participar en habilidades de autogestión y transición y apoyará su práctica de estas habilidades. Los mentores presentarán información a los participantes asesorados en una interacción virtual monitoreada usando Skype durante 8 semanas (10 sesiones de Skype en total de 30 a 60 minutos cada una) para alentar la participación en el desarrollo de habilidades adaptadas a sus necesidades. Todos los mentores completarán un curso de capacitación pagado de 2,5 días y recibirán apoyo durante la duración del estudio (consultas con el personal de investigación para tratar problemas imprevistos). Los participantes asesorados completarán las medidas de resultado en línea antes de la aleatorización (T1) y al finalizar el estudio (T2).

Sin intervención: 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).

Feasibility

1. Accrual and Dropout Rates - recruitment and withdrawal rates will be calculated that the end of the study.
2. 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.
3. 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
4. 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)

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.

Emotional Symptoms

Anxiety and depression will each be assessed using two, separate 8-item Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) scales.

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.

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.

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.

Disability

Disability will be measured using the 15-item Functional Disability Inventory, which assesses physical functioning and disability in youth with chronic pain.

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).

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.