Sherwood Beau, Roberts Lisa, Joslin Rhiannon
School of Health Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
Therapy Services Department, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK.
Child Care Health Dev. 2025 Jul;51(4):e70140. doi: 10.1111/cch.70140.
Absenteeism among adolescents experiencing chronic pain is a critical issue, and factors influencing absence have been identified as an evidence gap. Existing research overlooks aspects beyond attendance, such as presenteeism, reflecting adolescents' school functioning before becoming absent. This novel qualitative study sought to identify the influencing factors on presenteeism and absence from school in adolescents (11-18 years) experiencing chronic pain, through exploration of adolescent and parent perspectives.
This study conducted a secondary analysis of qualitative data using semi-structured interviews and a timeline drawing from 21 adolescents treated for chronic musculoskeletal pain and 21 parents. Data regarding school experiences were extracted and analysed using the six stages of thematic analysis, identified by Braun and Clarke. Initial codes were identified manually, discussed and validated by all authors in a face-to-face meeting.
Thematic analysis of the data identified three themes: (1) understanding the unseen struggle, (2) the feeling of belonging and (3) navigating transitions.
A key finding was the importance of adolescents feeling understood and supported by their peers and teachers throughout their education. Receiving validation of their symptoms, despite the invisible nature of chronic pain, affirmed a sense of security at school, contributed to a more positive school experience and improved adolescents' reported attendance. This has important practice implications in healthcare and education, in validating the adolescents' struggle, fostering a sense of belonging through shared goal setting and advocating for their voices to be heard.
患有慢性疼痛的青少年旷课是一个关键问题，而影响旷课的因素被认为是一个证据空白。现有研究忽视了旷课之外的方面，如出勤但表现不佳，这反映了青少年在旷课之前的学校学习情况。这项新颖的定性研究旨在通过探索青少年及其父母的观点，确定患有慢性疼痛的青少年（11 - 18岁）出勤但表现不佳和旷课的影响因素。
本研究对定性数据进行了二次分析，采用半结构化访谈和时间线绘图法，涉及21名接受慢性肌肉骨骼疼痛治疗的青少年及其21名父母。使用布劳恩和克拉克确定的主题分析六个阶段，提取并分析有关学校经历的数据。初始编码由人工识别，所有作者在面对面会议中进行讨论和验证。
对数据的主题分析确定了三个主题：（1）理解无形的挣扎，（2）归属感，（3）应对转变。
一个关键发现是，青少年在整个教育过程中感受到同龄人和教师的理解与支持非常重要。尽管慢性疼痛具有无形的特点，但症状得到认可，这在学校中增强了安全感，促成了更积极的学校体验，并提高了青少年报告的出勤率。这在医疗保健和教育方面具有重要的实践意义，包括认可青少年的挣扎、通过共同设定目标培养归属感以及倡导倾听他们的声音。
