Skip to main content
Log in

The occurrence of maladaptive health-related behaviors and teacher-rated conduct problems in children of chronic low back pain patients

  • Published:
Journal of Behavioral Medicine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is often associated with a complex of behaviors in the patient which cause interference in adaptive functioning of both the patient and the patient's family. This study examined a group of children of CLBP patients, a control group of children of diabetic patients, and a general control group of children. The study supported the hypothesis that, as a group, children of CLBP patients would exhibit a higher frequency of behaviors hypothesized to be learned through observation of and interaction with a CLBP parent than would children in either of the control groups. Significant differences between the pain group and the control groups on each of the nine teacher-reported and child self-report measures were observed. Implications and limitations of the study are discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ahern, D. K., and Follick, M. J. (1985). Distress in spouses of chronic pain patients.Int. J. Family Ther. 7: 4.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ahern, D. K., Adams, A. E., and Follick, M. J. (1985). Emotional and mental disturbance in spouses of chronic low back pain patients.Clin. J. Pain 1: 69–74.

    Google Scholar 

  • Apley, J. (1975).The Child with Abdominal Pain, Blackwell, Oxford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bailis, K. L., Kulich, E. J., and Wright, N. R. (1984). A review and investigation of family factors in the treatment of chronic pain patients. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association, Toronto.

  • Beck, A. T. (1970).Depression: Causes and Treatment, University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia.

    Google Scholar 

  • Block, A. R. (1981). An investigation of the response of the spouse to chronic pain behavior.Psychosom. Med. 43: 415–422.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bruhn, J. G. (1977). Effects of chronic illness in the family. J. Family Pract. 4: 1057–1060.

    Google Scholar 

  • Conners, C. K. (1969). A teacher rating scale for use in drug studies with children. Am. J. Psychiat. 126: 884–888.

    Google Scholar 

  • Craig, K. D. (1978). Social modeling influences on pain. In Sternbach, R. A. (ed.),The Psychology of Pain, Raven Press, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fordyce, W. E. (1974). Chronic pain as learned behavior. In Bonica J. J. (ed.),Advances in Neurology 4, Raven Press, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fordyce, W. E. (1976).Behavioral Methods for Chronic Pain and Illness, Mosby, St. Louis.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gentry, W. D., Shows, W. D. and Thomas, M. (1974). Chronic low back pain: A psychological profile.Psychosomaticas 15(4): 174–177.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kerns, R. D., and Turk, D. C. (1984). Chronic pain and depression: Mediating role of the spouse.J. Marriage Family 46: 845–852.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mohamed, S. N., Weisz, G. M., and Waring, E. M. (1978). The relationship of chronic pain to depression, marital and family dynamics.Pain 5: 282–292.

    Google Scholar 

  • Parcel, G. S., and Meyer, M. P. (1978). Development of an instrument to measure children's health locus of control.Health Educ. Monogr. 6(2): 149–159.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pilowsky, I., and Spence, N. D. (1975). Patterns of illness behavior in patients with intractable pain.J. Psychosom. Res. 19: 279–287.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pilowsky, I., Chapman, C. R., and Bonica, J. J. (1977). Pain, depression, and illness behavior in a pain clinic population.Pain 4: 183–192.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shanfield, S. B., Heiman, E. M., Cope, N., and Jones, J. R. (1979). Pain and the marital relationship: Psychiatric distress.Pain 7: 343–351.

    Google Scholar 

  • Trites, R. L., Blowin, A. G. A., and Laprade, K. (1982). Factor analysis of the Conners Teacher Rating Scale based on a large normative sample.J. Consult. Clin. Psychol. 5: 615–623.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Rickard, K. The occurrence of maladaptive health-related behaviors and teacher-rated conduct problems in children of chronic low back pain patients. J Behav Med 11, 107–116 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00848259

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00848259

Key words

Navigation