Pain Catastrophizing and Functional Disability in Youth with Chronic Pain: An Examination of Indirect Effects

Pediatric pain conditions are not uncommon and may lead to functional disability. The purpose of this study is to examine indirect effects of pain catastrophizing on functional disability through anxiety, depression, and pain in youth with chronic pain. Participants included 197 youth (144 females, M_age = 14.67 years) with chronic pain conditions. Youth completed self-report measures of pain catastrophizing, depression, anxiety, pain intensity, and functional disability. Caregivers also completed a measure of youth functional disability. Using a cross-sectional design, a multiple mediator model was estimated with pain catastrophizing as the predictor, functional disability as the outcome, and depression, anxiety, and pain intensity as mediators. Results supported a mediation model in which depression (B = 0.1145, SE = 0.0528, Z = 2.1686; B = 0.1512, SE = 0.0585, Z = 2.5846) and pain intensity (B = 0.1015, SE = 0.0422, Z = 2.4052; B = 0.0634, SE = 0.0343, Z = 1.8484) significantly mediated the effects of catastrophizing on child self-report and parent-report functional disability, respectively, while anxiety (B = − 0.0260, SE = 0.0439501, Z = − 0.5923; B = − 0.0637, SE = 0.0552, Z = − 1.1540) did not. Theoretical and clinical applications are discussed.