Preliminary validation of a German version of pain stages of change questionnaire

Abstract

This study describes the development of the German questionnaire FF-STABS (Freiburg Questionnaire--Stages of Chronic Pain Management), which documents the willingness of chronic pain patients to use cognitive-behavioural methods for pain management independently. The newly constructed assessment instrument, modified from a similar instrument developed by Kerns and his colleagues, was administered to a heterogeneous sample of 118 chronic pain patients. Item and factor analysis support the identification of four reliable scales: precontemplation, preparation, action and maintenance. All scales evidenced sufficient indices of reliability and discriminant validity. Deviations from the original American version and suggestions for future refinements in the new measure are discussed.