title: The Headache Self-Efficacy Scale: adaptation to recurrent headaches.
abstract: This paper describes the development, construct and discriminant validity, and incremental utility of a headache self-efficacy scale. The Headache Self-Efficacy Scale is a 51 item scale designed specifically for recurrent headache sufferers. It assesses individuals' belief that they are able to do the things necessary to prevent a moderately painful headache when confronted with personally relevant headache precipitants. High self-efficacy was associated with less depression, anxiety, and physical symptoms, and less use of passive coping strategies (P < .01), even when headache frequency, intensity and chronicity were controlled statistically. Self-efficacy also explained unique variance in psychological and somatic symptoms beyond that explained by locus of control and general self-efficacy. These findings suggest that adaptation to headaches is influenced by self-efficacy beliefs, and that the assessment of self-efficacy may provide useful information in the evaluation of recurrent headache sufferers.
authors.affiliation: Duke University Medical Center.
authors.forename: N J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Holroyd
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Rokicki
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D016002:Discriminant Analysis; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012008:Recurrence