Cross-cultural adaptation of the Pain Catastrophizing Scale in Greek clinical population

Background: Catastrophizing is an important psychological construct in mediating the behavioral response toward pain.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to examine the psychometric properties of the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) in Greek clinical population.

Methods: The scale was administered in 376 patients with chronic cervical and lumbar pain. Test-retest reliability, internal consistency (Cronbach $\alpha$ ) and concurrent validity were assessed. Exploratory (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) were used to test the factorial validity of the hypothesized three factor structure.

Results: The PCS factors suggested high levels of test-retest reliability, whereas Cronbachs' $\alpha$ values were acceptable. The EFA yielded a three-factor solution and indicated a marginal fit to the data. CFA procedures indicated a rather acceptable fit to the data. The concurrent validity of the instrument was confirmed.

Conclusion: PCS seems to be a reliable and valid instrument in Greek patients with chronic cervical and lumbar pain.