An investigation of pain self-efficacy beliefs in Iranian chronic pain patients: a preliminary validation of a translated English-language scale.

OBJECTIVES: 1) To determine the psychometric properties of a Persian-language version of the Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (P-PSEQ) in Iranian chronic pain patients; and 2) to evaluate the validity of the P-PSEQ in another Iranian chronic pain sample.

DESIGN: Cross-sectional designs.

SETTING: Two medical centers and a large industrial company.

METHOD: In Study 1, the P-PSEQ was administered to 348 chronic pain patients. In Study 2, 169 males with chronic pain who were working completed the P-PSEQ, Beck Depression Inventory, Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire, Short Form Health Survey, and a pain scale.

RESULTS: The psychometric properties (internal consistency, test-retest reliability, construct validity, and concurrent validity) of the P-PSEQ were found to be strong. Multiple hierarchical regression analyses indicated that pain self-efficacy scores accounted for a significant proportion of the variance in scores on measures of disability, depression, and general health even after controlling for the possible confounding effects of pain severity and education.

CONCLUSION: The psychometric properties of the P-PSEQ were confirmed. Consistent with findings in other countries with other language versions of the same scale, pain self-efficacy beliefs are associated with levels of physical disability, depression and general health status of chronic pain patients, over and above the influence of pain severity in this sample of Iranians with chronic pain.