Validating the use of two-item measures of pain beliefs and coping strategies for a veteran population

Previous research has demonstrated that 2-item versions of subscales from the Chronic Pain Coping Inventory, Coping Strategy Questionnaire, and the Survey of Pain Attitudes appear adequately reliable and valid for use in studies with large sample sizes. It was suggested that use of the abbreviated scales might help to expand the testing and application of cognitive-behavioral models of pain to new settings and with new populations where assessment burden might be a key issue. This study explored the utility of these brief scales among veterans in a Veterans Affairs setting. Strong associations were found between the 2-item versions and their respective parent scales. In addition, the 2-item scales were found to be associated with other pain-related measures, supporting their predictive validity. The results of this study replicate previous findings and offer support for the use of the 2-item versions for both screening and research purposes in Veterans Affairs settings with a veteran population. Perspective: This article presents the psychometric properties of brief versions of 3 commonly used pain coping and belief questionnaires in a unique population. These measures could be used clinically for initial screening purposes, as well as for treatment monitoring. (C) 2006 by the American Pain Society.