Review Psychological interventions to improve ... hypermobility spectrum disorders and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome... 2023 Clark et al

Full title: Psychological interventions to improve pain, fatigue, anxiety, depression, and quality of life in children and adults with hypermobility spectrum disorders and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome: a systematic review

Abstract

Hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD) affect individuals across physical, psychological and social domains, making assessment and management difficult. Management for this condition primarily focuses on addressing the musculoskeletal complaints using physiotherapy rather than the additional manifestations such as fatigue, anxiety and depression.

This systematic review aims to identify psychological interventions and assess whether they improve the lived experiences of individuals with HSD. It also aims to assess which psychological interventions were most effective, which symptoms were most effectively managed by a psychological intervention, and whether there were differences between children and adults. Studies were included if they were a randomised controlled trial or pre/post-test design, a sample of any age and clinical diagnosis of HSD (including Ehlers-Danlos syndrome), used a psychological intervention and assessed the effect of the intervention on lived experiences using appropriate outcome measures. Risk of bias was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. The results were narratively synthesised.

Six studies were included in the review, one isolated psychological intervention and five incorporated a psychological intervention within a multidisciplinary programme. The interventions predominantly aimed to reduce pain including intensity, interference, pain-related fear and catastrophising, with anxiety and depression, affect, daily living, fatigue also being evaluated. The most beneficial psychological interventions were those delivered alongside physiotherapy in an outpatient or community setting, improving both the physical and psychological aspects of pain, subsequently improving quality of life. However, there lacks randomised controlled trials with larger samples to definitively confirm the significant findings discussed in this review.

Open access, https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00296-023-05503-2

 

The corresponding author, Katherine Swainston, also had the same role for this study, What psychological interventions are effective for the management of (PPS)? A systematic review and meta-analysis, 2022, Swainston et al

She is listed as based at Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK. The rest of the authors of this paper are based at South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Middlesbrough, UK

 

Anyone who asks the question of differences between children and adults in any context needs to be questioned intently

What do they term multidisciplinary ? Has anyone actually determined who needs to be part of this group? This is a serious question because they are used normally to mean mental health professionals only and to the public mean that everything from genetics to Chiropody (our feet are very important to us and can tell us a lot about the way we use our frame) and needs to be debated?


Not going to open or give time to the research it just needs deleting words like randomised controlled in this sort of paper make my feathers quiver with rage