The Characteristics and Clinical Evolution of Adolescents With Severe Chronic Pain in an Inpatient Multimodal Pain Programme
Guillaume Groffe, Aminata Ali, France Hirot, Adrien Naddaf, Anne Tonelli, Didier Bouhassira, Nathalie Godart, Chantal StheneurObjectives
Around 5.1% of the French pediatric general population experiences severe chronic pain; it leads to school absenteeism, social isolation, depressed mood and anxiety. Only a few studies have been conducted on inpatient treatment for severe chronic pain. The aim of this research was to describe the characteristics of adolescents enrolled in an inpatient pain management programme within a residential therapeutic care center and their outcomes at discharge.
Methods
We conducted a retrospective chart review of patients aged 11–19 who were hospitalized between 2010 and 2020.
Results
We identified 196 hospitalizations for 195 adolescents. Their mean age was 15.4 ± 2.1 years, and 67.7% were female. Before admission, 92.9% experienced school absenteeism. At discharge, the mean number of weak‐ and strong‐opioid painkillers and/or chronic pain drugs prescribed was significantly reduced (mean difference = −0.70 ± 0.90, p < 0.001) and pain intensity was significantly lower than at admission on a 10‐point numerical scale (mean = 4.6 ± 2.5 at admission vs. 2.8 ± 3.3 at discharge ( p = 0.01)). A school reintegration programme was documented for 167/196 (85.2%) hospitalizations.
Discussion and Conclusion
Adolescents admitted to this inpatient programme presented with severe chronic pain, substantial school absenteeism, and a long history of healthcare utilization. At discharge, lower pain intensity, reduced painkiller prescriptions, reported improvements in social participation, and planned school reintegration were documented. These findings suggest that intensive multidisciplinary inpatient programmes may represent a valuable rehabilitation option for adolescents with complex chronic pain who remain significantly disabled despite specialized outpatient management and warrant further prospective evaluation.