The detection of malingered pain-related disability with the Personality Assessment Inventory.
OBJECTIVE
This study presents and evaluates a method to detect malingered pain-related disability (MPRD) using the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI), a multiscale self-report instrument with a number of useful applications in pain assessment.


METHODS
In this study PAI scores from respondents in a chronic pain clinic (N = 317) and college students instructed to feign chronic pain (N = 152) were compared.


RESULTS
Although existing PAI validity indicators demonstrated strong effects in discriminating actual pain and MPRD cases, these indicators were not sufficiently sensitive to feigned pain to recommend for clinical practice. A discriminant function was developed and cross-validated, which improved upon the sensitivity of the other indicators and yielded an overall hit rate of 88% for detecting individuals instructed to malinger pain-related disability.


CONCLUSIONS
These data suggest that this new PAI indicator holds some promise for more effective detection of MPRD.
Hopwood
Christopher J
CJ
Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824-1116, USA. hopwood2@msu.edu
Orlando
Matthew J
MJ
Clark
Timothy S
TS
D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008306:Malingering / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010552:Personality Assessment; D010555:Personality Inventory; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity