Validation of the Spanish version of the Pain Catastrophizing Scale in fibromyalgia

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Pain catastrophization is considered an important risk factor for pain in general and, specifically, for fibromyalgia. There are no validated Spanish versions of any of the questionnaires developed to assess pain catastrophization. The aim of this study was to validate the Spanish version of the Pain Catastrophization Scale (PCS), one of the most used questionnaires to assess pain catastrophization. PATIENTS AND METHOD: A prospective, observational and multicentre study was carried out in clinically stable and unstable patients with fibromyalgia. Factorial structure, convergent validity, reliability (internal consistency and test-retest) and sensitivity to change were assessed. RESULTS: Two hundred and thirty patients from 12 primary care health centres were included. The Spanish version of the PCS showed the same 3-factor structure (rumination, magnification and helplessness) described in the original study. It also showed appropriate internal consistency (Cronbach alpha = 0.79), test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.84) and sensitivity to change (effect size >= 2). CONCLUSIONS: The Spanish version of the PCS shows appropriate psychometric properties, similar to the English original scale. Therefore, PCS could be useful for clinical practice and research in Spanish patients with fibromyalgia.