A classification of illness behaviour in pain clinic patients.
The Illness Behaviour Questionnaire (IBQ) (Pilowsky and Spence 1983) was administered to 824 pain clinic patients over a 10-year period. Their responses to this 62-item self-report questionnaire were analysed using a numerical taxonomy programme. Of the 6 valid classes generated, 2 classes were delineated by at least 5 unique items. The main difference between these 2 classes, revealed by the item responses, was the acceptance or rejection of a psychological viewpoint. Comparison on the basis of mean IBQ scale scores indicated that, while members of both classes maintained the presence of a somatic disorder, they differed not only in their report of psychological symptoms but also by whether they showed an awareness of life problems unrelated to their physical problems.
Pilowsky
Issy
I
Department of Psychiatry, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, S.A. 50000 Australia.
Katsikitis
Mary
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001519:Behavior; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006998:Hypochondriasis / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D010146:Pain / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D010465:Perception; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires