Qualitative health research
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Involvement of parents in their children's pain management is universally accepted as best practice, yet there is little understanding of their needs. Twelve parents of children with chronic pain were recruited to this study in which the impact of caring for a child with chronic pain was explored. ⋯ A minority remained in distress, finding an adaptive response to the child's pain challenging. Catastrophic thinking, fear of pain, and the desire to fulfill a nurturing parental role led parents to place themselves continually "on call." Findings indicate that parents might require support to care effectively for their children, and that many of the actions necessitated by children's pain require complex and counterintuitive decisions.