Establishing cut-offs for the Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for people living with chronic pain

LAY SUMMARY Cut-offs were established for the Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (PSEQ) by examining it with other clinical measures in 189 patients, including 69 Veterans, who attended a four-week interdisciplinary chronic pain management program. By dividing the PSEQ scores into low, medium, and high ranges, the authors examined the PSEQ’s association with fear of movement/re-injury (kinesiophobia), pain interference, and pain catastrophizing at admission and discharge from the program. Kinesiophobia was found to be most related to the proposed cut-offs. Findings support the use of PSEQ cut-offs when considering self-efficacy and kinesiophobia. Future research should evaluate these cut-offs with larger samples and functional/occupational measures. The findings show promise for individuals with chronic pain and continue to increase the understanding of the clinicians who work with them.