- Overview
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Chronic pain affects many young people. Living with chronic pain can impact a child’s social, emotional, academic, recreational, and developmental outcomes. While there are pain treatments that work, most of them have been developed and tested on populations that do not reflect the diversity of young people we serve in our clinical settings.
My research focuses on making pain research and care more accessible and equitable for young people. We do this by understanding the developmental, individual, and social factors that are involved in pain, and by thinking creatively about how to use this information to change practice. I am especially interested in understanding the role of sex, gender, and neurodiversity on pain, and have projects looking at the experiences of chronic pain in gender-diverse and autistic youth.
We use a variety of methods to study pain and related experiences, with the aim of making research participation safe, trauma-informed, and accessible for young people who function across the developmental spectrum. This includes through interviews with young people and their families and in-home data collection tools that allow us to look at experiences that change and interact over time. Co-creating our methods with patients and families is a key part of this, making sure the lived experience perspective is integral to everything we do.
- Publications
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The Living Lab at Home: Feasibility and Acceptability of Multimodal In-Home Data Collection Among Youth Across the Developmental Spectrum
Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics
Katelynn E. Boerner and Veronica Dudarev and Leora Pearl-Dowler and Marie-Noelle Wharton and Harold Siden and Liisa Holsti and Tim F. Oberlander
DOI: 10.1097/DBP.0000000000001319
10/2024Patient-oriented multifamily group-based care for somatization: Narratives from treated adolescents and parents.
Clinical Practice in Pediatric Psychology
DOI: 10.1037/cpp0000500
2024Body image, sex, gender, and pain: Towards an improved understanding of pain mechanisms
Pain
DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003309
2024Exploring Family Care Journeys to Inform Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder and Somatic Symptom Disorders
Cognitive and Behavioral Practice
DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpra.2024.01.002
2024Challenges with embedding an integrated sex and gender perspective into pain research: Recommendations and opportunities
Brain, Behavior, and Immunity
DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2023.12.027
2024A systematic review of self and observer assessment of pain and related functioning in youth with brain-based developmental disabilities
Pain
DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003066
2024A developmental framework for understanding the influence of sex and gender on health: Pediatric pain as an exemplar
Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews
DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105546
2024Pain and development: Interacting phenomena
Pain
DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003304
2024Editorial: Recommendations on inclusive language and transparent reporting relating to diversity dimensions for the Journal of Pediatric Psychology and Clinical Practice in Pediatric Psychology
Journal of Pediatric Psychology
DOI: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsad094
2024MyWeekInSight: Designing and Evaluating the Use of Visualization in Self-Management of Chronic Pain by Youth
arXiv
DOI: 10.48550/arXiv.2405.20508
2024Recommendations on inclusive language and transparent reporting relating to diversity dimensions for the journal of pediatric psychology and clinical practice in pediatric psychology
Clinical Practice in Pediatric Psychology
DOI: 10.1037/cpp0000519
2024Social Media Content About Children's Pain and Sleep: Content and Network Analysis
Michelle E. Tougas and Christine T. Chambers and Penny Corkum and Julie M. Robillard and Anatoliy Gruzd and Vivian Howard and Andrea Kampen and Katelynn E. Boerner and Amos S. Hundert
DOI: 10.32920/21992075
02/2023Alterations in pain during adolescence and puberty
Trends in Neurosciences
DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2023.01.006
2023The Role of Parenting Stress as a Mediator in the Relationship Between Postpartum Depressive Symptoms and Early Childhood Internalizing Behaviour
Child Psychiatry and Human Development
DOI: 10.1007/s10578-023-01596-9
2023A Multi-Centre, Tolerability Study of a Cannabidiol-enriched Cannabis Herbal Extract for Chronic Headaches in Adolescents: the CAN-CHA Protocol
medRxiv
DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.04.23293647
2023“Making Data the Drug”: A Pragmatic Pilot Feasibility Randomized Crossover Trial of Data Visualization as an Intervention for Pediatric Chronic Pain
Children
DOI: 10.3390/children10081355
2023A genderful research world: rapid review, design, and pilot study of an interactive platform for curated sex and gender health research resources
International Journal for Equity in Health
DOI: 10.1186/s12939-023-01899-2
2023When feelings hurt: Learning how to talk with families about the role of emotions in physical symptoms
Paediatrics and Child Health (Canada)
DOI: 10.1093/pch/pxac052
2023Topical Review: Acute and Chronic Pain Experiences in Transgender and Gender-Diverse Youth
Journal of Pediatric Psychology
DOI: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsad075
2023Family Perspectives on In-Home Multimodal Longitudinal Data Collection for Children Who Function Across the Developmental Spectrum
Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics
DOI: 10.1097/DBP.0000000000001183
2023Data visualization as an intervention for pediatric chronic pain: a pilot feasibility study protocol for a randomized controlled crossover trial
Pilot and Feasibility Studies
DOI: 10.1186/s40814-022-01170-5
2022Pediatric Avoidant-Restrictive Food Intake Disorder and gastrointestinal-related Somatic Symptom Disorders: Overlap in clinical presentation
Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry
DOI: 10.1177/13591045211048170
2022Editorial: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Reporting Race and Ethnicity in the Journal of Pediatric Psychology
Journal of Pediatric Psychology
Tonya M Palermo and Melissa A Alderfer and Katelynn E Boerner and Marisa E Hilliard and Anna M Hood and Avani C Modi and Yelena P Wu
DOI: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsab063
08/2021Understanding parents' use of a knowledge translation tool to manage children's vaccination pain
Pain Reports
DOI: 10.1097/PR9.0000000000000907
2021Factors associated with parents’ experiences using a knowledge translation tool for vaccination pain management: a qualitative study
BMC Health Services Research
DOI: 10.1186/s12913-021-06326-2
2021Making Sense of “Somatization”: A Systematic Review of its Relationship to Pediatric Pain
Journal of Pediatric Psychology
Katelynn E Boerner and Katherine Green and Andrea Chapman and Elizabeth Stanford and Theresa Newlove and Katherine Edwards and Amrit Dhariwal
DOI: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsz102
03/2020Exploring the relationship between male norm beliefs, pain-related beliefs and behaviours: An online questionnaire study
European Journal of Pain (United Kingdom)
DOI: 10.1002/ejp.1499
2020JPP Student Journal Club Commentary: When Adults Evaluate a Child’s Pain: Considering Study Methodology, Gender Bias and Parental Experience
Journal of Pediatric Psychology
Katelynn E Boerner and Amrit K Dhariwal
DOI: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsz012
05/2019Social Media Content About Children’s Pain and Sleep: Content and Network Analysis
JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting
Michelle E Tougas and Christine T Chambers and Penny Corkum and Julie M Robillard and Anatoliy Gruzd and Vivian Howard and Andrea Kampen and Katelynn E Boerner and Amos S Hundert
DOI: 10.2196/11193
12/2018Adult judgments of children’s pain and fear during venipuncture: The impact of adult and child sex
Canadian Journal of Pain
Meghan G. Schinkel and Katelynn E. Boerner and Christine T. Chambers and C. Meghan McMurtry
DOI: 10.1080/24740527.2018.1537672
01/2018Conceptual complexity of gender and its relevance to pain
Pain
DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001275
2018The Effect of Parental Modeling on Child Pain Responses: The Role of Parent and Child Sex
The Journal of Pain
Katelynn E. Boerner and Christine T. Chambers and Patrick J. McGrath and Vincent LoLordo and Rudolf Uher
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2017.01.007
06/2017Sex differences in the efficacy of psychological therapies for the management of chronic and recurrent pain in children and adolescents
PAIN
Katelynn E. Boerner and Christopher Eccleston and Christine T. Chambers and Edmund Keogh
DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000000803
04/2017State Versus Trait: Validating State Assessment of Child and Parental Catastrophic Thinking About Children's Acute Pain
The Journal of Pain
Hannah Durand and Kathryn A. Birnie and Melanie Noel and Tine Vervoort and Liesbet Goubert and Katelynn E. Boerner and Christine T. Chambers and Line Caes
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2016.11.012
04/2017Impact of Threat Level, Task Instruction, and Individual Characteristics on Cold Pressor Pain and Fear among Children and Their Parents
Pain Practice
Katelynn E. Boerner and Melanie Noel and Kathryn A. Birnie and Line Caes and Mark Petter and Christine T. Chambers
DOI: 10.1111/papr.12306
07/2016A comprehensive categorical and bibliometric analysis of published research articles on pediatric pain from 1975 to 2010
PAIN
Line Caes and Katelynn E. Boerner and Christine T. Chambers and Marsha Campbell-Yeo and Jennifer Stinson and Kathryn A. Birnie and Jennifer A. Parker and Anna Huguet and Abbie Jordan and Jill MacLaren Chorney and Meghan Schinkel and Justine Dol
DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000000403
02/2016Erratum: Sex differences in experimental pain among healthy children: A systematic review and meta-analysis (PAIN (2014) 155 (983-993))
Pain
DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000000601
2016Simple Psychological Interventions for Reducing Pain From Common Needle Procedures in Adults
The Clinical Journal of Pain
Katelynn E. Boerner and Kathryn A. Birnie and Christine T. Chambers and Anna Taddio and C. Meghan McMurtry and Melanie Noel and Vibhuti Shah and Rebecca Pillai Riddell
DOI: 10.1097/ajp.0000000000000270
10/2015Acceptance of Vulvovaginal Pain in Women with Provoked Vestibulodynia and Their Partners: Associations with Pain, Psychological, and Sexual Adjustment
The Journal of Sexual Medicine
Katelynn E. Boerner and Natalie O. Rosen
DOI: 10.1111/jsm.12889
06/2015It is not as simple as boys versus girls: the role of sex differences in pain across the lifespan
Pain Management
Katelynn E Boerner and Meghan Schinkel and Christine T Chambers
DOI: 10.2217/pmt.14.42
01/2015Acceptability by Parents and Children of Deception in Pediatric Research
Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics
Melanie Noel and Katelynn E. Boerner and Kathryn A. Birnie and Line Caes and Jennifer A. Parker and Christine T. Chambers and Conrad V. Fernandez and Kang Lee
DOI: 10.1097/dbp.0000000000000122
2015Implementation of evidence-based psychological interventions for pediatric needle pain.
Clinical Practice in Pediatric Psychology
Katelynn E. Boerner and Joanne M. Gillespie and Elizabeth N. McLaughlin and Leora Kuttner and Christine T. Chambers
DOI: 10.1037/cpp0000074
09/2014Sex differences in experimental pain among healthy children: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Pain
Katelynn E. Boerner and Kathryn A. Birnie and Line Caes and Meghan Schinkel and Christine T. Chambers
DOI: 10.1016/j.pain.2014.01.031
05/2014Core Competencies for Health Professionals' Training in Pediatric Behavioral Sleep Care: A Delphi Study
Behavioral Sleep Medicine
Katelynn E. Boerner and J. Aimée Coulombe and Penny Corkum
DOI: 10.1080/15402002.2013.874348
03/2014Families and pain
Oxford Medicine Online
Kathryn A. Birnie and Katelynn E. Boerner and Christine T. Chambers
DOI: 10.1093/med/9780199642656.003.0012
11/2013Caregiver accuracy in detecting deception in facial expressions of pain in children
Pain
Katelynn E. Boerner and Christine T. Chambers and Kenneth D. Craig and Rebecca R. Pillai Riddell and Jennifer A. Parker
DOI: 10.1016/j.pain.2012.12.015
04/2013Self-Esteem and Social Anxiety in an Adolescent Female Eating Disorder Population: Age and Diagnostic Effects
Eating Disorders
Nicole Obeid and Annick Buchholz and Katelynn E. Boerner and Katherine A. Henderson and Mark Norris
DOI: 10.1080/10640266.2013.761088
02/2013Barriers and Facilitators of Evidence-Based Practice in Pediatric Behavioral Sleep Care: Qualitative Analysis of the Perspectives of Health Professionals
Behavioral Sleep Medicine
Katelynn E. Boerner and J. Aimée Coulombe and Penny Corkum
DOI: 10.1080/15402002.2013.838766
2013Contemporary Use of the Cold Pressor Task in Pediatric Pain Research: A Systematic Review of Methods
The Journal of Pain
Kathryn A. Birnie and Mark Petter and Katelynn E. Boerner and Melanie Noel and Christine T. Chambers
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2012.06.005
09/2012 - Research
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Gender and Sex Influences on Pediatric Chronic Pain
In adult pain research there is a common finding that women experience more frequent, intense, and interfering chronic pain. Many studies also suggest that pain care is often biased towards dismissing the pain of female-identifying individuals. However, very little research has considered the impact of sex and gender on pain from a developmental perspective. Our research aims to address that issue by looking at experiences of acute and chronic pain, intergenerational transmission of pain behaviours, and pain treatment outcomes from a sex and gender lens. Our work has also considered the unique experiences of gender-diverse and transgender young people who live with pain, and advocates for an intersectional approach to understanding pain experiences.Pain Experiences and Treatment in Autistic Young People
Acute and chronic pain experiences are more common in autistic individuals, but they are underrepresented in research. An ongoing program of research on pain in autistic young people aims to: (a) describe the representation of autistic young people in the “gold-standard” chronic pain treatment literature, (b) summarize what evidence is available for the effective treatment of chronic pain in autistic children and youth, (c) determine the epidemiology of everyday acute and chronic pain experiences in autistic children, youth, and young adults, as well as the associations of this pain with other important health metrics such as sleep, mental health, sensory experiences, and (d) explore the experiences of autistic youth and young adults with chronic pain, as well as parents of autistic children who live with chronic pain, with respect to diagnostic uncertainty, gendered pain expectations, and experiences of healthcare.The Living Lab at Home
Most child health research takes place in laboratory of clinical settings, but these settings are often anxiety-provoking and unfamiliar to families. Families who do not live close to a large hospital or university often do not have the opportunity to take part in this type of research, and even when they can, the research often captures a single snapshot of the family’s experience. The Living Lab at Home (LLAH) aims to make research participation more accessible by co-creating with children and families a series of methods that can answer important research questions from the community, that are adapted to fit the needs of children and youth who function across the developmental spectrum. By working with families and constantly adapting our tools, we have developed methods for doing in-home research that are flexible to adapt to family needs, and can better capture experiences like pain, mental health, sleep, and social interactions, that are dynamic and change over time. We are also developing and testing a data visualization platform so families taking part in LLAH studies can see and interact with their own data.GrantsCo-Principal Investigator. Real-time data for pain in youth with ASD: Can you see a difference?. Funding Source: BC Children’s Hospital Digital Health Research Accelerator Grant – Tier 2
Co-Principal Investigator. A mixed-methods study of pain experiences in young people with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Funding Source: Laurel Foundation
Principal Applicant. Understanding the perspectives and experiences of gender-diverse youth who live with chronic pain: Incorporating the lived experience from inception to dissemination. Funding Source: Crawford Postdoctoral Fellowship Research Grant in Pediatric Psychology.
Principal Applicant. Adapting in-home data collection for families of children with severe neurologic impairment. Funding Source: CHILD-BRIGHT Graduate Fellowship in Patient-Oriented Research.
Co-Investigator. The ‘Living Lab at Home’: Taking developmental and behavioural research into the community. Funding Source: BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute Brain Behaviour & Development Theme Establishment Fund.
Honours & Awards2020–2023 – Canadian Child Health Clinician Scientist Postdoctoral Award
2021 – ZonMw: The Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development Gender in Research Fellowship
2018 – Brain Star Award, Canadian Institutes of Health Research Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction
2018 – Best Paper Award, International Association for the Study of Pain Sex, Gender and Pain Special Interest Group
2016 – Brian Dufton Memorial Prize for Outstanding Graduate Achievement in Psychology
Research Group MembersMisheel Altan, Undergraduate honours student
Levi Du, Patient Partner Coordinator
Congratulations CIHR Spring 2024 Project Grant recipients
Congratulations to the BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute (BCCHR) and Women’s Health Research Institute (WHRI) investigators and their teams who were awarded $5 million in funding through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Spring 2024 Project Grant competition.
