Patricia Richardson, PhD
Pediatric Pain Psychology Postdoctoral Fellow
Stanford University

A 16-year-old girl presented with widespread musculoskeletal pain and headaches. Symptoms were treated with medication management and outpatient physical therapy (PT). Several months into follow-up, the patient was not making progress, continued to report elevated pain, and had stopped attending school. It was revealed that she was not taking prescribed medication or engaging in PT because she did not think these services would be helpful. Her life was further complicated by ongoing stress related to poor familial relationships and her parents’ impending divorce.