Illness behaviour syndromes associated with intractable pain.
One hundred patients, referred for the management of intractable pain, completed a 52-item Illness Behaviour Questionnaire (IBQ). Responses were scored on 7 scales: general hypochondriasis, disease conviction, psychological versus somatic perception of illness, affective inhibition, affective disturbance, denial, and irritability. IBQ scale profiles were subjected to numerical analysis and 6 taxonomic clusters were identified. Patients in groups 1-3 were characterized by a relatively non-neurotic, reality-oriented attitude to illness, as indicated by low scores on the first three scales. Patients in groups 4-6 manifested greater evidence of 'abnormal illness behaviour', and presented syndromes resembling 'hysteria', 'conversion reaction', and 'hypothchondriasis' respectively.
D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000150:complications; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006998:Hypochondriasis / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010148:Intractable Pain / Q000150:complications; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000150:complications; D012803:Sick Role