Abstract
New metod for assessment of cognitive changes in chronic pain patients is presented. Psychological parameters of adaptation can be defined on a personality and behavior levels.
We suppose that changes on the personality level involve general affective discomfort - suffering, change of self perception, perceived change of standard life activities and social communication - disability, and perception of change of pain tolerance, especially if any other stress conditions occur. The Adaptation to Chronic Pain Questionnaire (ACPQ) measures these cognitive aspects of the adaptation changes by scales Perceived Self (7 items; Cronbach's Alpha = 0.894), Perceived Disability (5; 0.827), and Perceived Tolerance (6; 0.849).
ACPQ was standardized on a sample of non-malignant chronic pain patients (n = 100). Independents was VAS-I (Pain Intensity), VAS-U (Pain Unpleasantness), SF-MPQ (Pain Rating Index - Sensory, Pain Rating Index - Affective), VAS-T (Lasting of Pain, in dimension short - continuing), Pain Beliefs and Perception Inventory (Constancy, Permanence, Mystery, Self-Blame, Blame of Others), Coping with Pain Questionnaire (Focussing of Attention, Withdrawal, Resignation), BDI-SF (Depression), VAS-S (Suffering), and VAS-R (Restriction).
Perceived Self correlates with Pain Rating Index - Affective, with pain beliefs Permanence, Mystery and Blame of Others, with coping measures Withdrawal and Resignation, and with Depression, Suffering and Restriction. The factor space accounted for by this factor involves 77 percent.
Factor Perceived Disability correlates with Pain Rating Index - Affective, Withdrawal, Resignation, Depression, Suffering and Restriction. Factor Perceived Tolerance correlates with Resignation and Depression.
ACPQ can be used for standard psychological testing of the chronic pain patients, as well as for testing of perception changes during psychotherapy. The application of the ACPQ together with Pain Beliefs and Perception Inventory (PBPI), and with Coping with Pain Questionnaire (CPQ) serves for description of dynamics cognitive changes from pain beliefs, via coping with pain, to changes of Perceived Self, Perceived Disability, and Perceived Tolerance, tested by ACPQ.