Culturally Adapted Mobile Treatment of Chronic Pain in Adolescent Survivors of Pediatric Cancer: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Survivors of childhood cancer with lasting pain may have problems with daily life, such as paying attention, sleeping, or daily activities. A mobile cognitive behavioral therapy program (App) and patient education materials may be helpful for survivors with pain. Researchers at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital want to see if these tools can used to improve pain in survivors. Participants will be recruited from 4 sites: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (SJCRH), Children's Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA), Texas Children's Hospital (TCH), and Seattle Children's Hospital (SCH). Standard treatment for pain that continues after cancer and its treatment may include pain education, medication and/or cognitive behavioral therapy. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a treatment that focuses on helping people change how they think and feel about pain. This treatment is often delivered in person. Participants will be asked to either use a mobile CBT program or review educational materials about pain for 6 weeks. For those using the CBT program, the program can be accessed at their convenience through an App on their phone and they will be asked to use the App at least 2 to 3 days per week. Primary Objective: To conduct a randomized clinical trial to determine the efficacy of adapted mobile CBT vs. patient education to improve pain intensity and functional disability post-intervention in a racially/ethnically and geographically diverse sample of adolescent survivors of childhood cancer with chronic pain. Secondary Objective: To investigate longitudinal associations between patient-reported comorbidities including symptoms of depression, anxiety, sleep quality, fatigue, physical functioning, and pain medication use with changes in pain intensity and functional disability.