PERCEIVED SELF-EFFICACY AND OUTCOME EXPECTANCIES IN COPING WITH CHRONIC LOW-BACK-PAIN

The purposes of this study were to explore the coping strategies used by patients with chronic low back pain, to test hypothesized mediators of the relationship between self-efficacy and pain outcomes, and to d etermine the roles of self-efficacy and outcome expectancies in coping with pain in patients (N = 85) with chronic low back pain, The most c ommon coping behaviors were reporting pain, using pain medications, an d coping self-statements. Patients' self-efficacy to cope with pain wa s inversely correlated with pain intensity. Self-efficacy was positive ly correlated with perseverance of coping effort. Perseverance of copi ng effort was found to mediate the effects of self-efficacy on pain ou tcomes; however, level of distress was not found to be a mediator. Out come expectancies were positively correlated with perseverance of copi ng effort. These findings are discussed in terms of implications for p ractice and directions for future research, (C) 1996 John Wiley & Sons , Inc.