A 2-item short form of the Pain Self-efficacy Questionnaire: development and psychometric evaluation of PSEQ-2

Abstract

The Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (PSEQ) is an established 10-item measure of pain self-efficacy that is widely used in clinical and research settings. However, a shorter measure would reduce patient and researcher burden and save valuable time in busy clinical settings. The aim of this study was to develop and confirm the psychometric properties of a valid and reliable 2-item short form of the PSEQ (PSEQ-2). We used a large sample of 1,418 chronic pain patients, which we randomly split into 2 smaller groups. We identified the 2 short-form items in Sample 1 and confirmed their properties in Sample 2. In order to identify the 2 items for the short-form measure, we selected the first item based on the highest item-total correlation. The second item was identified after a series of additional analyses. The 2 items identified from the PSEQ reflected confidence in one's ability to work and lead a normal life despite pain. The PSEQ-2's validity and internal consistency were found to be sound. Test-retest reliability, sensitivity to change, and convergent validity were confirmed in a separate patient sample (n = 140) that had recently completed an intervention designed, in part, to modify self-efficacy beliefs. The PSEQ-2 appears to be a robust measure of pain self-efficacy.

Perspective: Pain self-efficacy is a belief in one's ability to carry out activities even when in pain and is important in coping effectively with pain. A short measure of pain self-efficacy was developed and evaluated. It appears to be suitable for use in clinical and research settings.

Keywords: Chronic pain; coping; pain measure; self-efficacy; short-form.