Brief Report: A Confirmatory Approach to Exploring the Factor Structure of the Social Consequences of Pain Questionnaire

Objective Confirmatory factor analysis was used to evaluate the factor structure of the Social Consequences of Pain (SCP) questionnaire in youth referred for specialty pain treatment. The existing four-factor structure (i.e., Positive Attention, Negative Attention, Activity Restriction, Privileges) was compared to an alternate three-factor structure merging Positive Attention and Privileges into a single scale (Favorable Consequences). Methods Participants were 373 youth (aged 8–18 years) with chronic pain referred to a tertiary pain clinic. Most participants presented with pain in the head, abdomen, legs, or back. Participants completed the SCP questionnaire at or before an intake appointment. Results Both three-factor and four-factor solutions were acceptable. The three-factor solution emerged as preferable due to stronger internal consistencies. Conclusions Findings support the validity of the SCP for the assessment of social consequences in diverse presentations of pediatric chronic pain. Key words Assessment; chronic and recurrent pain; pain; structural equation modeling