Objectives: While most adolescents display a steady recovery trajectory following surgery, some develop chronic postsurgical pain (CPP), which can significantly impact their functioning. Psychosocial factors are known to play a role in the recovery from pain following surgery, but positive psychosocial factors have received little attention in the literature. This study aims to address this gap by investigating parental and adolescent positive affect and optimism as predictors of post-surgical pain recovery and positive outcomes in adolescents. Methods: This study uses data collected as part of a larger longitudinal project that involved administering questionnaires to adolescents and their parents over multiple timepoints. Adolescent participants aged 12 – 18 years old with a diagnosis of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis, and scheduled for spinal fusion surgery, were recruited across four Belgian hospitals along with their parents. Structural Equation Modelling was used to investigate how parental and adolescent positive affect and optimism predicted post-surgical outcomes, including mood, quality of life and functional disability in adolescents. Results: The study comprised 94 adolescent-parent dyads. Parental optimism before surgery predicted increased adolescent mood following surgery. Adolescent positive affect before surgery predicted increased mood and decreased pain intensity following surgery, while adolescent optimism predicted increased quality of life. None of the optimism or positive affect variables were significantly related to adolescent functional disability following surgery. Discussion: Study findings identify parental and adolescent positive affect and optimism as potential predictors of post-surgical recovery and positive outcomes in adolescents. However, the multifaceted and complex nature of these relationships warrants further investigation.
Parsons et al. (Wed,) studied this question.