Psychological Testing Variables as Predictors of Return to Work by Chronic Pain Patients

Abstract

After multidisciplinary pain treatment, pretreatment psychological testing variables were compared for 20 chronic pain patients who were working and 42 who were not working. Symptom Checklist-90–R scores for Depression, Anxiety, Phobic Anxiety, Psychoticism, Global Severity, and Positive Symptom Distress were lower for working subjects as were those on the Beck Depression Inventory. In contrast, workers scored higher on self-efficacy to manage pain, self-efficacy to function, self-efficacy to manage other symptoms, and over-all self-efficacy.