Description
Children experiencing chronic pain are at risk of developing mental illness. Chronic pain is defined as “pain that persists or recurs for longer than 3 months.” Studies estimate that 6% of children in the US experience high impact chronic pain, which can affect their daily functioning and social, emotional, and academic development. There are many possible pathologies associated with chronic pain. Our study found that children with blood disorders like sickle cell disease are 10.4 percentage points more likely to have chronic pain than children without blood disorders. The occurrence of chronic pain in pediatric populations with intellectual and developmental disabilities like autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is not well studied. In fact, pain in this population is often under-identified and undertreated. A recent study found that in medical events where pain relief was considered routine, pain relief was only offered to half of the children with ASD. Our study shows that children with ASD are 86% more likely to be experiencing chronic pain than children without ASD. Furthermore, the estimated prevalence of chronic pain in boys with ASD is 1.5 times higher than in boys without ASD, and 2.5 times higher in girls with ASD than in girls without ASD. In this session, we demonstrate the importance of treating acute or chronic pain early in pediatric patients. We will share common pitfalls that lead to undertreatment of pediatric chronic pain. Clinicians will practice identifying chronic pain in pediatric patients in our interactive case and learn strategies that they can bring back to their clinical practice.
Format
Recorded webinar.
This content was recorded during the APA 2023 Annual Meeting.
Learning Objectives
- Recognize how untreated chronic pain is a risk factor for long-term mental illness in pediatric patients.
- Recognize how chronic pain is under-identified and undertreated in certain populations of pediatric patients.
- Practice using specific resources that can help identify chronic pain in pediatric patients with autism spectrum disorder, and that can then be incorporated in clinicians’ routine practice.
Target Audience
Residents/Fellows, Psychiatrists, Psychologists
Estimate Time to Complete
Estimated Duration: 0.5 hours
Program Start Date: May 1, 2025
Program End Date: May 1, 2028
How to Earn Credit
Participants who wish to earn AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ may do so after completing all sections of the course including the evaluation. After evaluating the program, course participants will be provided with an opportunity to claim hours of participation and print an official CME certificate (physicians) or certificate of participation (non-physicians) showing the completion date and hours earned.
Continuing Education Credit
In support of improving patient care, the American Psychiatric Association is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
The APA designates this live activity for a maximum of 0.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Faculty and Planner Disclosures
The American Psychiatric Association adheres to the ACCME’s Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Medical Education. Any individuals in a position to control the content of a CME activity — including faculty, planners, reviewers or others — are required to disclose all relevant financial relationships with ineligible entities (commercial interests). All relevant conflicts of interest have been mitigated prior to the commencement of the activity.
Instructors
- Grace Ibitamuno, MD, PhD
- Christine Kim, MD
- Victor Mensah, MD
- William Zempsky, MD, MPH
Planners
- Vishal Madaan, MD, Chief of Education and Deputy Medical Director at the American Psychiatric Association.
Accessibility for Participants with Disabilities
The American Psychiatric Association is committed to ensuring accessibility of its website to people with disabilities. Please contact the American Psychiatric Association at 202-559-3900, if you require assistance seven (7) business days prior to the start of a live webinar.
Technical Requirements
This internet-based CME activity is best experienced using any of the following:
- The latest and 2nd latest public versions of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Safari
- Internet Explorer 11+
This Web site requires that JavaScript and session cookies be enabled. Certain activities may require additional software to view multimedia, presentation, or printable versions of the content. These activities will be marked as such and will provide links to the required software. That software may be: Adobe Acrobat Reader, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Windows Media Player.
Optimal System Configuration:
- Browser: Google Chrome (latest and 2nd latest version), Safari (latest and 2nd latest version), Internet Explorer 11.0+, Firefox (latest and 2nd latest version), or Microsoft Edge (latest and 2nd latest version)
- Operating System: Windows versions 8.1+, Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) +, Android (latest and 2nd latest version), or iOS/iPad OS (latest and 2nd latest version)
- Internet Connection: 1 Mbps or higher
Minimum Requirements:
- Windows PC: Windows 8.1 or higher; 1 GB (for 32-bit)/2 GB (for 64-bit) or higher RAM; Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM driver; audio playback with speakers for programs with video content
- Macintosh: Mac OS X 10.5 or higher with latest updates installed; Intel, PowerPC G5, or PowerPC G4 (867MHz or faster) processor; 512 MB or higher RAM; audio playback with speakers for programs with video content
For assistance: Contact educme@psych.org for questions about this activity | Contact learningcenter@psych.org for technical assistance