• Emma Fisher, Lauren Heathcote, Tonya M Palermo, Amanda C de C Williams, Jennifer Lau, and Christopher Eccleston.
• Centre for Pain Research, University of Bath, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Department of Anaesthesiology & Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Clinical Health Psychology, University College London, and University College London Hospitals, and Psychology Department, Kings College London e.a.fisher@bath.ac.uk.
• J Pediatr Psychol. 2014 Sep 1; 39 (8): 763-82.

ObjectivesThis systematic review and meta-analysis examined the effects of psychological therapies for management of chronic pain in children. MethodsRandomized controlled trials of psychological interventions treating children (<18 years) with chronic pain conditions including headache, abdominal, musculoskeletal, or neuropathic pain were searched for. Pain symptoms, disability, depression, anxiety, and sleep outcomes were extracted. Risk of bias was assessed and quality of the evidence was rated using GRADE. Results35 included studies revealed that across all chronic pain conditions, psychological interventions reduced pain symptoms and disability posttreatment. Individual pain conditions were analyzed separately. Sleep outcomes were not reported in any trials. Optimal dose of treatment was explored. For headache pain, higher treatment dose led to greater reductions in pain. No effect of dosage was found for other chronic pain conditions. ConclusionsEvidence for psychological therapies treating chronic pain is promising. Recommendations for clinical practice and research are presented.© The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Pediatric Psychology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

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