Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40723104›Full record

ArticleChildren (Basel, Switzerland)2025

Balancing Care and Sacrifice: Lived Experiences and Support Needs of Primary Caregivers in Pediatric Chronic Pain Across Canada and Australia.

Nicole Pope, Nicole Drumm, Kathryn A Birnie, Melanie Noel, Carolyn Berryman, Nicki Ferencz, Tieghan Killackey, Megan Macneil, Darrel Zientek, Victoria Surry and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Children (Basel, Switzerland), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Nicole PopeChild Health Evaluative Services, Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1E8, Canada.
Nicole DrummLawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing and IHPME, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada.
Kathryn A BirnieDepartment of Psychology and Neuroscience, Faculty of Science, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-8223-8834
Melanie NoelDepartment of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada.
Carolyn BerrymanPediatric Chronic Pain Service, Women's and Children's Hospital, Adelaide, SA 5006, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-5316-0847
Nicki FerenczPediatric Chronic Pain Service, Women's and Children's Hospital, Adelaide, SA 5006, Australia.
Tieghan KillackeyLawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing and IHPME, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada.ORCID 0000-0003-2941-4058
Megan MacneilChronic Pain Network, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada.ORCID 0000-0001-5346-2581
Darrel ZientekIndependent Researcher, Ottawa, ON K2J 4W5, Canada.
Victoria SurryFaculty of Human and Social Development, School of Public Administration, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8P 5C2, Canada.
Jennifer N StinsonChild Health Evaluative Services, Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1E8, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-9969-8052

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundChronic pain affects one in five youth globally and is frequently accompanied by mental health challenges that extend into adulthood. Caregivers play a vital role in supporting youth with chronic pain, yet their own mental and physical health needs are often overlooked. While caregiver well-being is linked to child outcomes, few interventions directly address caregivers' health, especially among those facing systemic barriers. This study explored the lived experiences of caregivers to better understand their unmet needs and inform the co-design of a supportive digital health solution.

methodsWe conducted a qualitative exploratory study involving 32 caregivers of youth with chronic pain across Canada and Australia. Semi-structured interviews were co-facilitated by caregiver partners. Thematic analysis was applied to interview data.

resultsTwo overarching themes were identified: (1) bearing the weight and sacrifice of caregiving and (2) deep interrelatedness and blurred boundaries. Caregivers reported profound emotional, physical, and financial burdens; strained relationships; and social isolation. Many struggled with self-neglect, prioritizing their child's needs over their own. Fathers' evolving caregiving roles challenged traditional gender norms, though mothers continued to bear a disproportionate load. Despite challenges, caregivers demonstrated resilience and recognized their well-being as interconnected with their child's health.

conclusionsFindings underscore the need for systemic investment in caregiver well-being. Digital health solutions, including virtual peer networks, mental health resources, and tailored education, offer scalable, accessible pathways for support. These insights will inform the development of Power over Pain for Primary Caregivers, a digital solution and knowledge hub aimed at improving caregiver well-being and family outcomes, aligning with global efforts to enhance family-centred pediatric pain care.

Indexed as

caregiver well-beingco-designdigital health interventionsfamily-centred caremental healthpediatric chronic painqualitative researchvirtual support

Identifiers

PMID40723104
PMCPMC12293230

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.