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The factor structure of the Coping Strategies Questionnaire
Leora C Swartzman1, Fuad G Gwadry, Allan P Shapiro
1Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ont. N6A 5C2 Canada Department of Psychological Services, University Hospital, London, Ont. N6A 5A5 Canada Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Western Ontario, University Hospital, London, Ont. N6A 5A5 Canada.
Pain
|June 1, 1994
Summary
The Coping Strategies Questionnaire's factor structure was re-examined using individual items from chronic pain patients. A 5-factor solution, including Distraction and Catastrophizing, emerged as most interpretable, validating some original scales.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Pain Management
- Psychometrics
Background:
- The Coping Strategies Questionnaire (CSQ) is a widely used tool for assessing pain coping strategies.
- Previous studies on the CSQ's factor structure primarily used composite scores, not individual items.
- A gap exists in understanding the empirical fit of theoretically derived CSQ scales.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the factor structure of the Coping Strategies Questionnaire (CSQ) using its individual items.
- To compare empirically derived factors with the original 8 theoretically derived scales.
- To assess the face and construct validity of the identified subscales.
Main Methods:
- Administered the CSQ to 126 patients with chronic whiplash pain.
- Performed factor analyses on the 48 individual CSQ items.
- Had 18 clinicians classify items to assess face and construct validity.
Main Results:
- An 8-factor structure derived from individual items was uninterpretable.
- A 5-factor solution provided the most interpretable structure: Distraction, Ignoring Pain Sensations, Reinterpreting Pain Sensations, Catastrophizing, and Praying and Hoping.
- Clinician classification showed high accuracy (90.2%), supporting the validity of the identified subscales.
- Four empirically derived subscales aligned with original CSQ scales; 'Distraction' combined two original subscales.
- Items from 'Coping Self-Statements' and 'Increasing Pain Behaviour' did not load consistently, suggesting they may not measure distinct strategies.
Conclusions:
- The 5-factor structure provides a more interpretable model for CSQ items than the original 8 scales.
- The findings support the validity of several CSQ subscales, while questioning others.
- Cognitive and behavioral distraction may represent a single coping strategy within the CSQ framework.