Multidisciplinary treatment of chronic pain patients: its efficacy in changing patient locus of control.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the efficacy of multidisciplinary treatment in altering chronic pain patient locus of control beliefs.


METHODS
A before-and-after treatment design including demographics.


METHODS
Seventy-three chronic nonmalignant pain patients who completed study questionnaires both before and after treatment.


METHODS
Comprehensive, outpatient, multidisciplinary pain management program at a large Midwestern university medical center.


METHODS
Pain Locus of Control Scale and Survey of Pain Attitudes Control subscale.


RESULTS
Patients' perceptions of personal control over pain increased from pretreatment to posttreatment, and patients' perceptions of external control over pain, such as fate or powerful others. decreased from pretreatment to posttreatment.


CONCLUSIONS
This study supports the efficacy of chronic pain management centers in altering patient beliefs about pain. The ability to increase patients' self-efficacy in their control over pain and to decrease external attributions are essential to successful pain management.
Coughlin
A M
AM
Department of Psychology, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, USA.
Badura
A S
AS
Fleischer
T D
TD
Guck
T P
TP
D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D018710:Pain Clinics; D016896:Treatment Outcome