| Abstract: | In this study, the psychological symptom patterns of individuals with chronic pain on the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) were cluster analyzed. Cluster analysis was initially performed on a sample of 1,489 people with chronic pain and then cross-validated on a smaller sample of 244 people. A 2-cluster solution was deemed most appropriate. The clusters reflected low- and high-profile elevations on all BSI subscales. As part of their clinical evaluation, participants also completed the Pain Disability Index, the adjective list from the McGill Pain Questionnaire, and a modified version of the Posttraumatic Chronic Pain Test. Among persons in the smaller sample, high-profile participants were more likely to be involved in litigation, report a higher frequency of posttraumatic stress symptoms, and display poorer psychosocial functioning. The results suggest that the BSI subgroups are associated with psychosocial characteristics that may be important in terms of treatment planning and outcome. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
