Academic achievement of adolescents with chronic pain: the mediating role of sleep

Analyses also explored descriptive information about the CP group compared to peers which are contextually important to the school experience, including pain characteristics, mental health difficulties, bullying, and substance use.<br><br>Results: A logistic regression revealed a relationship between CP and reporting a pathway to higher education after key variables were accounted for, although its predictive power was marginal and sensitive to the measure of academic achievement.

Further analyses identified a moderate indirect effect of CP on reporting a pathway to higher education when mediated by sleep. Adolescents with CP were also found to be at risk across a range of measures including mental health difficulties, bullying, and substance misuse.<br><br>Conclusions: The limited predictive relationship between CP and academic achievement potentially indicates enhanced skills that the CP group may utilise in maintaining a developmental trajectory at school, or external factors such as support from their caregivers or school.

The complex inter-relationship between sleep and CP is also an important consideration for adolescents with CP to achieve academically. Recommendations are provided for professionals working with adolescents with CP in an educational context.<br>