[Compliance with the treatment of chronic pain and health control locus]

The objective was to assess compliance of patients with nonl-oncologic pain and identify relationships between beliefs of health control and compliance. Thirty patients were evaluated over a period of six months, in five interviews. Compliance was classified as total, partial and non-compliance, and the Index of Correct Medication Ingestion (ICMI) was calculated. The belief about health control was evaluated by the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale. High rate of partial compliance and non-compliance with the treatment (40.0% to 56.7%), ICMI means between 57.2% and 69.5% were observed, and that patients with higher "internality" beliefs were less compliant with the treatment.