# “It Helped Me Understand What I Was Walking into:” Youth and Caregiver Acceptability and Satisfaction with a Psychological Perioperative Pain Management Intervention

## TL;DR

A psychological intervention for children before surgery is well accepted and helps families feel more prepared and connected.

## Contribution

The study introduces a perioperative psychological program and evaluates its acceptability and satisfaction among youth and caregivers.

## Key findings

- Youth and caregivers reported high satisfaction with the Perioperative Pain Program.
- The program helped families feel more prepared for surgery and improved connections with the healthcare team.
- Adaptable content and delivery were identified as important for successful intervention use.

## Abstract

Background: Chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP) occurs in approximately one in five children who undergo surgery. Youth with anxiety and depressive symptoms are at greater risk of developing CPSP. Psychological interventions hold promise to prevent CPSP; however, existing psychological interventions are often brief and offered exclusively pre-surgically. Objective: The Perioperative Pain Program (PPP) was designed to address psychological risk factors for CPSP. This study aimed to explore acceptability and satisfaction with the PPP, from the perspective of youth and caregivers. Method: In this mixed-methods study, 24 youth and caregivers completed a satisfaction questionnaire, and six dyads participated in semi-structured interviews. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. Qualitative data was analyzed using inductive content analysis. Results: The qualitative analysis generated four categories: (1) developing support and a sense of preparedness for surgery; (2) connection matters between families and the team; (3) personal characteristics may impact intervention use; (4) the need for adaptable content and delivery. Quantitative data indicated overall satisfaction and acceptability of the intervention. Conclusions: Psychological interventions that facilitate interpersonal connections in a timely manner may be key to facilitating more meaningful engagement and help prevent CPSP in youth.