Maintaining lasting improvements: one-year follow-up of children with severe chronic pain undergoing multimodal inpatient treatment.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the long-term effectiveness of a 3-week multimodal inpatient program for children and adolescents with chronic pain. METHODS 167 adolescents were evaluated at pretreatment baseline, 3-, and 12-month follow-up. Long-term effectiveness was investigated for pain-related variables (pain-related disability, school absence, pain intensity) and emotional distress. RESULTS We found statistically and clinically significant changes in all variables. After 1 year, the majority (56%) showed overall improvement as indexed by decreased pain-related disability or school absence. 22% had an unsuccessful treatment outcome. Those showing only short-term improvements had higher levels of emotional distress at baseline. CONCLUSIONS 1 year after completing a multimodal inpatient program adolescents report less chronic pain, disability, and emotional distress. Clinically significant changes remain stable. Adolescents with high levels of emotional distress at admission may require special attention to maintain positive treatment outcomes. Specialized inpatient therapy is effective for children with chronic pain.