This chapter addresses three topics: First, the evidence for the effectiveness of intensive interdisciplinary pain programs is summarized. Data was gathered from eight studies which report positive short-term treatment results, especially for decreases in pain-related disability and absence from school. Long-term effectiveness was shown in one study with 67 % of the children maintaining positive changes over a 12-month period. Second, characteristics of children in need of intensive interdisciplinary pain treatment are summarized. While grading systems for paediatric chronic pain are scarce, preliminary evidence for the utility of the Chronic Pain Grading System (CPG) of von Korff et al. (Pain 50(2):133–149, 1992) for children is presented. At present, clinicians mainly rely on clinically evolved criteria for treatment allocation, though these have not yet been evaluated. Third, research on process variables which modulate treatment response is presented. There is clearly a paucity of research in this area. The few existing studies demonstrate sex differences in treatment response, the importance of changes in pain coping, psychological flexibility, willingness to change, and adherence to the treatment regimen for treatment response. Future research is warranted to provide evidence for the effectiveness through randomized-controlled trials, to provide validated grading systems for paediatric chronic pain for treatment allocation, and to investigate the specific impact of process variables on treatment outcome.
