A Scoping Review and Content Analysis of Available Chronic Pain Education Programs and Resources for Children, Adolescents and Young Adults with Diverse Abilities

Approximately one-in-five children and adolescents experience chronic pain. Pain education, where people are provided with information, supports and skills to better manage pain, is a key component of effective pain management. This review identified and synthesised the content of existing chronic pain education programs/resources for individuals aged 5– 25 years and examined their accessibility for those with diverse abilities. Searches of research databases, publicly available websites, and a global call for innovations identified 89 records representing 69 unique programs/resources. The most frequently referenced were “Web-based Management for Adolescent Pain (Web-MAP)”, “The ComfortAbility Program”, and “iCanCope with Pain”. Programs/resources were analysed using content analysis and mapped to seven recommended chronic pain education categories (Partnerships, self-management skills, lifestyle habits, emotional coping, social role support, informed decisions, and explaining pain) and five accessibility domains (cognition, communication, vision, hearing and movement). Accessibility was assessed through content review by coding each resource for explicit or potential consideration of accessibility. Educational content was commonly delivered through websites or face-to-face sessions, and emerging digital approaches (including mobile applications, virtual reality, chatbots, podcasts, social media). Most delivery approaches were online and self-directed. Of the analysed programs/resources, only four addressed all seven recommended chronic pain education categories. The category most frequently addressed involved promoting active cognitive and behavioural strategies to improve function and reduce symptoms. Accessibility analysis suggested that while over half of the resources were likely suitable for individuals with diverse visual (56.5%), communication (82.6%), auditory (84.1%), or movement abilities (91.3%), accessibility for those with cognitive impairment was markedly underrepresented and by far the least addressed domain (14.5%). Overall, while many pain education programs and resources exist for young people with chronic pain, few address all recommended education domains. Future development should emphasise inclusive design and equitable accessibility, particularly cognitive accessibility, to ensure resources effectively meet diverse needs.