Prediction of response to treatment in chronic pain patients

A seven-item rating scale reported by researchers from the Mayo Clinic to have high validity in identifying chronic pain patients who would benefit from inpatient treatment was administered to an outpatient sample. Initial results did not replicate the previous findings; inclusion of four additional variables (disruption of a close relationship, altered body image, history of childhood illness, and history of abuse in childhood) produced results comparable to the Mayo study. This expanded screening test appears to be a useful method for selecting patients in a pain-management program and warrants further investigation.