Pain is a multidimensional experience that includes sensory, cognitive, emotional, and social
factors. The International Association for the Study of Pain defines chronic pain as pain
that lasts longer than three months, besides the lack of a clear description. Chronic pain is
a critical developmental health issue that can be recurring or persistent, causing
significant disruption in everyday life. Children with chronic pain that is continuous or
recurrent may be unable to attend school, may withdraw from social activities, and may
develop internalizing symptoms as a result of their discomfort. Given these findings,
researchers and clinicians must focus on concerns connected to pediatric chronic pain in
order to reduce these challenges and develop appropriate methods. Adults are reported to
suffer from 19 percent of chronic pain, with two-thirds describing their pain as "persistent"
and 50% describing it as "unbearable." Chronic pain has emerged as a significant problem in
children, affecting around one out of every four children, while approximately 3% of children
require intense pain therapy.
Psychosocial factors interact with physiological processes to influence pain outcomes such as
pain perception and impairment, according to the biopsychosocial model of chronic pain. Fear
of pain is a psychological mechanism that has been shown to be effective in predicting
chronic pain and accompanying disability in adults. When pain-related sensations are viewed
as dangerous, fear of pain develops. The Fear Avoidance Model of Pain outlines how fear of
pain influences the outcomes of people who are in chronic pain. Many elements of the
condition, including experimentally generated pain severity, pain during dental treatment,
chronic pain behavior, and pain-related disability, have been linked to fear of pain.
Simultaneously, in the Fear Avoidance Model of Pain, if pain is seen as threatening,
pain-related fear develops, leading to avoidance. Simultaneously, in the Fear Avoidance Model
of Pain, if pain is seen as threatening, pain-related fear develops, leading to avoidance
behaviors and hypervigilance. After that, there's incapacity and depression. These negative
outcomes aggravate the fear and avoidance loop. While assessing fear of pain is critical,
assessing fear of re-injury is more difficult because it can entail movement, physical
activity, or a mix of these things. Furthermore, patients frequently do not report or
subjectively sense pain, but rather have trouble performing the actions or activities that
have been required of them.
In the adult literature, various scales have been established to assess fear of pain. Fear of
pain has been shown to have a role in adult chronic pain research, but it has gotten less
attention in pediatric chronic pain research. The Fear of Pain Questionnaire for children and
parents (FOPQ-C SF, FOPQ-P) is a questionnaire that addresses this knowledge gap. As a
result, the purpose of this study is to see if the Fear of Pain Questionnaire for Children &
Parents (FOPQ-C, FOPQ-P) Scale is valid in the Turkish community and how effective it is in
therapeutic practice.
