NCT06481072

Digital Psychological Intervention for Pediatric Functional Abdominal Pain Disorders in Primary Care

Digital Psychological Intervention for Pediatric Functional Abdominal Pain Disorders Through a Collaborative Pathway Between Primary- and Specialist Pediatric Care: A Randomized Clinical Trial

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 300 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Göteborg University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 8 Years – 14 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The project involves researching two psychological treatments for functional abdominal pain in children. The treatments will be offered to children as an early intervention, at primary care level. The study will aim to find out if the treatments are effective and which children the different treatments are effective for.

Detailed description

The research project involves evaluating the efficacy of a collaborative care pathway with a two-level stepped-care model for pediatric FAPD where specialist level community-based pediatric clinics (CPC, Swedish Barn- och ungdomsmedicinsk mottagning) provide consultation and intervention to primary care health centers (HC). As children with FAPD benefit from early intervention, a stepped-care model of delivery at primary care level via a collaborative pathway could potentially be a way to divert more resources to those who need it most. The model explores a collaboration whereby an initial diagnosis of FAPD will be made by a general practitioner at a participating HC, following which digital interventions with two levels, managed by CPC, will be provided. The aim of the study is to explore the effectiveness of the two levels in the stepped-care model, where level 1 involves digitally provided psychoeducation and enhanced information about FAPD, and level 2 is a digitally delivered cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) based psychological intervention for FAPD. The CBT intervention is a fully digital version of the Aim to Decrease Anxiety and Pain Treatment (ADAPT), which has been developed into a Swedish language version through a project funded by the innovation fund in Region Vastragotaland (VGR).

Conditions

• Functional Abdominal Pain Syndrome

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Digital patient education	This educative intervention includes both medical and psychological explanations, as well as basic strategies to manage pediatric FAPD. The medical information spans the topics of pain, functional abdominal pain and general advice in terms of child health, and the psychological information is based on cognitive-behavioural and pain management theoretical approaches. The intervention consists of six short, animated films with a total run-time of approximately 30 minutes. The films each cover one of the following topics; Why and how do we feel pain? What is functional abdominal pain? How to help: general advice, Thoughts, feelings and behaviour, Goals and strategies. The films are accessed by the patient via 1177.se and maintained on the SoB (Stöd- och behandling) platform that is recognised by the care provider as meeting current safety criteria and standards.
OTHER	Digital patient education and iCBT	This includes the educative intervention and a fully digital, four session version of the Aim to Decrease Anxiety and Pain Treatment (ADAPT), a CBT treatment program for FAPD. The treatment focuses on pain-management through the following core elements; The Pain-Gate Theory, breathing and relaxation strategies, calming statements, activity pacing, problem solving and behavior activation. This intervention is also accessed by the patient via 1177.se and maintained on the SoB (Stöd- och behandling) platform.

Timeline

• Start date: 2024-04-01
• Primary completion: 2026-04-01
• Completion: 2026-12-31
• First posted: 2024-07-01
• Last updated: 2024-07-01

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Sweden