Reconstructing the past on the Original Pain Recall Assessment form (OPRA)

The Original Pain Recall Assessment form (OPRA) is a technique that allows people to report on their pattern of pain over time. This investigation reports on the psychometric properties of the OPRA. Our results are analyzed from a cognitive-behavioral perspective. Correlation analyses on data from 72 respondents indicate that participants' patterns of symptoms recalled on the OPRA over a 28-day period were positively related to previous daily diary reports. Symptom ratings on an adapted OPRA showed different patterns of association with past symptom reports in distinct subgroups. A hypothesized, primacy recency effect of the diary procedure on symptom recall was supported. Statistics designed for use with paired, ordered categorical data showed acceptable agreement between diary ratings and those made at recall. In a basic research setting, the form offers the potential to evaluate individual correlates of pain recall. It can also be used at an individual level to describe the character of disagreement with prior ratings.

This article presents the psychometric properties of a pain-assessment procedure. Our results suggest that the way people recall their symptoms is related to cognitive, emotional, and behavioral correlates of the pain experience. The importance of individual differences in overt and covert behaviors and their relationship to persistent pain complaints warrants further attention.