[Pain acceptance - concept and validation of a German version of the chronic pain acceptance questionnaire].

BACKGROUND

Up to now, only an English version of the Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire (CPAQ) has been available for measuring the acceptance of chronic pain. This paper presents and analyzes a German adaptation of this instrument.

METHODS

The German scale was tested on 150 patients at the DRK Pain Center in Mainz. Validity was assessed by means of various indicators of pain and psychosocial impairment. In a subgroup (n=50) the association with the heat pain threshold was determined.

RESULTS

The factor structure of the German CPAQ scale is largely concordant with the theoretical model. The internal consistency of the total and subscales is 0.84-0.87 (Cronbach's alpha). The factors are closely related to indicators of psychosocial functioning. Associations with the affective dimension of pain are moderate and with the sensory dimension low. No association is found with heat pain thresholds (thermal sensory analyzer).

CONCLUSIONS

The German CPAQ scale is a useful German-language instrument for the measurement of acceptance and shows good psychometric properties. The study confirms that acceptance is not an expression of a physiologically based indolence.