Understanding how social rejection affects pain stigma in teens with chronic pain
Official title: The Impact of Social Rejection: Investigating Pain-related Stigma in Adolescents with Chronic Widespread Musculoskeletal Pain
Funded at Connecticut Children's Medical Center · NIH-10781892 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how feeling rejected or judged because of pain affects teenagers with chronic pain, and it aims to create a helpful tool to better understand and support them in their recovery.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Connecticut Children's Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Hartford, United States) |
| Project start | February 1, 2020 |
| Project end | January 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $129,828 |
| NIH project number | 5K23AR073934-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-10781892 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are adolescents aged 0-21 who are experiencing chronic widespread musculoskeletal pain.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not have chronic pain conditions or are outside the age range of 0-21 may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the impact of social rejection and stigma related to pain among adolescents suffering from chronic widespread musculoskeletal pain (CWMP). It aims to understand how these psychosocial factors affect their health outcomes and recovery. The study will develop a new tool, the Pain-Related Stigma Scale for Adolescents (PReSS-A), through focus groups involving adolescents with CWMP and their parents. By using a mixed-methods approach, the research seeks to create a framework that can inform future interventions to address pain-related stigma in this vulnerable population.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved understanding and management of pain-related stigma, enhancing the overall health and recovery of adolescents with chronic pain.
How similar studies have gone: While pain-related stigma is a recognized issue, this specific approach to understanding it in adolescents with CWMP is novel and has not been extensively tested in prior research.
Where this research is happening
-
Connecticut Children's Medical Center
Hartford, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wakefield, Emily O — Connecticut Children's Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Wakefield, Emily O
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.