Validation of the Japanese version of the pain self-efficacy questionnaire in Japanese patients with chronic pain.

OBJECTIVES: The present study aimed to develop the Japanese version of the Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (PSEQ-J) and to evaluate its psychometric properties.

DESIGN: Cross-sectional design.

SETTING: A pain clinic, a neurosurgery unit, and an orthopedic surgery unit in one university hospital and a pain clinic in a municipal hospital.

METHODS: One hundred and seventy-six participants completed study measures, which included 1) the PSEQ-J, 2) the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, 3) the Pain Catastrophizing Scale, 4) the Medical Outcome Study Short-Form 36, 5) the Pain Disability Assessment Scale, and 6) the Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire.

RESULTS: The PSEQ-J demonstrated adequate reliability and validity. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses showed that pain self-efficacy as measured with the PSEQ-J accounted for a significant proportion of the variance on the measures administered in the present study. The PSEQ-J was most strongly associated with social activity.

CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrated that the PSEQ-J has adequate psychometric properties, supporting its use in clinical and research settings and suggest that the PSEQ-J may be particularly strongly associated with more social and less physical activity.