Chronic low back pain: toward an integrated psychosocial assessment model

This study reports on the integration of 6 dimensions of chronic low back pain to provide a multidimensional profile of the patient. These dimensions were pain intensity, functional disability, attitudes toward pain, pain coping strategies, depression, and illness behavior. Cluster analysis of the data obtained from 100 patients with chronic low back pain revealed the presence of 3 distinct patient groups: patients who were in control, patients who were depressed and disabled, and patients who were active copers with high denial. The validity of these clusters was supported by significance testing on several external variables.