Brief report: a confirmatory approach to exploring the factor structure of the social consequences of pain questionnaire.

OBJECTIVE: Confirmatory factor analysis was used to evaluate the factor structure of the Social Consequences of Pain (SCP) questionnaire in youth referred for specialty pain treatment. The existing four-factor structure (i.e., Positive Attention, Negative Attention, Activity Restriction, Privileges) was compared to an alternate three-factor structure merging Positive Attention and Privileges into a single scale (Favorable Consequences). METHODS: Participants were 373 youth (aged 8-18 years) with chronic pain referred to a tertiary pain clinic. Most participants presented with pain in the head, abdomen, legs, or back. Participants completed the SCP questionnaire at or before an intake appointment. RESULTS: Both three-factor and four-factor solutions were acceptable. The three-factor solution emerged as preferable due to stronger internal consistencies. CONCLUSIONS: Findings support the validity of the SCP for the assessment of social consequences in diverse presentations of pediatric chronic pain.