title: The Psychological Evaluation of Patients with Chronic Pain: a Review of BHI 2 Clinical and Forensic Interpretive Considerations.
abstract: Pain is the most common reason why patients see a physician. Within the USA, it has been estimated that at least 116 million US adults suffer from chronic pain, with an estimated annual national economic cost of $560-635 billion. While pain is in part a sensory process, like sight, touch, or smell, pain is also in part an emotional experience, like depression, anxiety, or anger. Thus, chronic pain is arguably the quintessential biopsychosocial condition. Due to the overwhelming evidence of the biopsychosocial nature of pain and the value of psychological assessments, the majority of chronic pain guidelines recommend a psychological evaluation as an integral part of the diagnostic workup. One biopsychosocial inventory designed for the assessment of patients with chronic pain is the Battery for Health Improvement 2 (BHI 2). The BHI 2 is a standardized psychometric measure, with three validity measures, 16 clinical scales, and a multidimensional assessment of pain. This article will review how the BHI 2 was developed, BHI 2 concepts, validation research, and an overview of the description and interpretation of its scales. Like all measures, the BHI 2 has strengths and weaknesses of which the forensic psychologist should be aware, and particular purposes for which it is best suited. Guided by that knowledge, the BHI 2 can play a useful role in the forensic psychologist's toolbox.
authors.affiliation: Health Psychology Associates, 1610 29th Avenue Place Suite 200, Greeley, CO 80634 USA.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bruns
authors.affiliation: Health Psychology Associates, 1610 29th Avenue Place Suite 200, Greeley, CO 80634 USA ; 113 Blue Grouse Road, Evergreen, CO 80634 USA.
authors.forename: John Mark
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Disorbio
keywords: BBHI 2; BHI 2; Battery for Health Improvement 2; Brief Battery for Health Improvement 2; Chronic pain; Forensic; Health psychology; Litigation; Litigiousness; Opioid risk; Presurgical; Psychological assessment; Psychological evaluation; Psychological screen; Rehabilitation; Risk; Standardized test; Suicide; Treatment outcome; Violence