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Amanda Mikedis, Psy.D., is a 2019 graduate of the Psy.D. Program in Clinical Psychology at Antioch University, New England

Dissertation Committee:

  • Kathi Borden, PhD, Committee Chair
  • Deirdre Brogan, PhD, Committee Member
  • Jaqueline Raftery-Helmer, PhD, Committee Member

Keywords

chronic pain, adolescent mental health, parental involvement, Add Health

Document Type

Dissertation

Publication Date

2019

Abstract

The present research examined the relationship between parental involvement and the internalizing symptomatology of adolescents with chronic pain. Parents play a significant role in the pain experience and the mental health of adolescents with chronic pain, but research on parental involvement and symptoms of anxiety and depression in adolescents with chronic pain is scarce. The aim of this study was to examine the benefits of parental involvement for the mental health of adolescents with chronic pain. Archival data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) of 616 adolescents with chronic pain was used to address the research gap. Correlational analyses revealed that higher levels of both maternal and paternal involvement, particularly emotional closeness, were associated with better self-reported psychological functioning, especially with depression in adolescents with chronic pain. These findings have important clinical implications for identifying adolescents with chronic pain who are vulnerable to experiencing symptoms of anxiety and depression as well as suggesting that clinicians use effective family interventions to address these symptoms.

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Amanda Mikedis

ORCID Scholar ID# 0000-0002-5441-2655

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