The Symptom Checklist-Revised (SCL-90-R) is able to discriminate between simulation and fibromyalgia.
This study assessed the ability of the Symptom Checklist-Revised (SCL-90-R) to discriminate between two groups of fibromyalgia patients (those who were about to begin a treatment including the explicit aim of returning to work and those who were initiating a legal procedure to obtain permanent disability compensation) and two groups of healthy volunteers (medical students and psychology graduates), who were asked to produce a symptomatic resemblance to a chronic pain disorder. Logistic regression analyses were applied to the SCL-90-R subscales and individual probabilistic indices of simulation were calculated. Results showed that the SCL-90-R was able to discriminate between healthy subjects and both groups of patients with a high sensitivity and specificity. The individual indices of simulation, which might be more useful in clinical practice than the comparison of the SCL-90-R profiles, also showed an appropriate level of accuracy.
Clinical Psychology Service, Institut Clínic de Neurociències, Hospital Clínic i Provincial de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. xtorres@clinic.ub.es
Xavier
X
Torres
Eva
E
Bailles
Antonio
A
Collado
Joan
J
Taberner
Fernando
F
Gutierrez
Josep-Maria
JM
Peri
Anna
A
Arias
Miquel-Angel
MA
Fullana
Manuel
M
Valdes
D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D003657:Decision Making; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D005356:Fibromyalgia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008306:Malingering / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013240:Stereotyping; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires