# Chronic Pain and Self-Efficacy: A Peer Mediated Group Intervention for Adults with Sickle Cell Disease

> **NIH NIH P20** · NEMOURS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL, DELAWARE · 2021 · $317,023

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Sickle cell disease is the most common inherited hemoglobinopathy and causes a variety of complications over
the lifespan, including chronic pain, which can be quite debilitating. The most common pharmacologic modality
currently available to manage pain is chronic opioid therapy, but this is problematic and has not been shown to
be particularly efficacious. In management of general chronic pain, there is growing focus on
nonpharmacologic modalities, including peer-mediated self-management interventions. For example,
ChristianaCare currently offers a chronic pain group curriculum facilitated by a psychiatrist. A sickle cell
disease specific peer mediated intervention is hypothesized to improve chronic pain and health related quality
of life as well as decrease health care utilization. This project will engage patients with sickle cell disease to
demonstrate feasibility of training peer leaders to deliver a sickle cell specific group intervention which has
been developed in our previous research. Furthermore, sickle cell disease exclusively affects minority patients
and the resulting chronic pain must be explored in the context of racism, biases, stigma, and distrust in the
medical system. These relationships have not yet adequately been explored; thus, this project will explore
these psychosocial experiences and their effect on the experience of chronic pain. We will then evaluate the
adapted curriculum in a focus group setting while training peer leaders to facilitate group sessions. Completing
this work will produce a community informed curriculum and trained peer leaders that can then be evaluated in
further study. It will also expand our understanding of how experiences of racism, stigma, and racial identity
contribute to chronic pain and poor self-efficacy at managing SCD in adult patients with the disease.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10271045
- **Project number:** 2P20GM109021-06
- **Recipient organization:** NEMOURS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL, DELAWARE
- **Principal Investigator:** Stephanie Howe Guarino
- **Activity code:** P20 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $317,023
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2014-08-01 → 2024-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10271045

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10271045, Chronic Pain and Self-Efficacy: A Peer Mediated Group Intervention for Adults with Sickle Cell Disease (2P20GM109021-06). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10271045. Licensed CC0.

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