The Sensitivity to Pain Traumatization Scale-Child Version (SPTS-C): Development and preliminary validation.

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Pediatrics
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Sensitivity to Pain Traumatization (SPT) describes responses to pain resembling traumatic stress.
• Existing scales assess SPT in adults and parents; relevance in pediatric chronic pain is significant due to PTSD comorbidity.
• This study addresses the need for a pediatric-specific measure of SPT.

Purpose of the Study:

• To adapt the adult Sensitivity to Pain Traumatization Scale (SPTS-12) for youth (SPTS-C).
• To evaluate the psychometric properties of the SPTS-C in adolescents with chronic pain.
• To explore the relationship between SPTS-C scores and other relevant clinical variables.

Main Methods:

• A prospective study involving 175 youth (mean age 14.31 years) with chronic pain.
• Participants completed the SPTS-C, pain symptom measures, pain-related anxiety, posttraumatic stress symptoms, and attentional control at baseline.
• Pain symptoms and SPTS-C were reassessed at a 3-month follow-up.

Main Results:

• The SPTS-C demonstrated a robust one-factor structure, explaining 48% of the variance.
• The scale exhibited good reliability and construct validity.
• Baseline SPTS-C scores significantly predicted future pain interference, but not pain intensity or unpleasantness.

Conclusions:

• The SPTS-C is a psychometrically sound measure for assessing sensitivity to pain traumatization in youth.
• Findings suggest SPT plays a role in the experience of pediatric chronic pain, particularly in functional interference.
• The SPTS-C is a valuable tool for research and clinical practice in pediatric pain management.