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Development and Validation of a Multidimensional Psychometric Scale for Assessing Pain Perception and Coping
Mengmeng Zhang1,2, Xin Ma3, Shuran Yang4
1Department of General Internal Medicine, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany, heidelberg.edu.
Pain Research & Management
|June 30, 2026
Summary
A new scale, the Adolescent Pain Sensitivity, Impact, and Acceptance Scale (APSIA), shows promise for assessing adolescent pain experiences. This tool may aid in early screening and personalized pain management strategies.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Adolescent Health
Background:
- Pain significantly impacts adolescent well-being, social functioning, and academic performance.
- Existing multidimensional tools lack rigorous validation for simultaneous assessment of pain sensitivity, social-emotional impact, and pain acceptance in adolescents.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate the Adolescent Pain Sensitivity, Impact, and Acceptance Scale (APSIA) for adolescents.
- To assess the psychometric properties of the APSIA, including its factor structure, reliability, and validity.
Main Methods:
- The APSIA was developed through expert consultation and literature review, followed by pilot testing.
- Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (EFA, CFA), validity analyses against the Pain Sensitivity Questionnaire (PSQ), K-means clustering, and structural equation modeling (SEM) were employed.
- A sample of 836 adolescents in China completed the APSIA and PSQ.
Main Results:
- The final 18-item APSIA comprises three factors: pain sensitivity, social-emotional impact, and pain acceptance, demonstrating acceptable model fit and internal consistency.
- Validity analyses showed statistically significant but small group differences and a weak association with the PSQ.
- Cluster analysis identified three distinct pain response profiles, and SEM indicated a strong association between pain acceptance and social-emotional impact.
Conclusions:
- The APSIA demonstrates initial psychometric support for assessing adolescent pain experiences.
- The scale may serve as a foundation for early screening, psychological interventions, and personalized pain management.
- Further research is recommended to evaluate the APSIA's clinical utility, cross-cultural applicability, and long-term stability.
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