The Pain Catastrophizing Scale: Further psychometric evaluation with adultsamples

Previous studies with undergraduates have provided support for the reliabil ity and oblique three-factor structure of a new scale, the Pain Catastrophi zing Scale (PCS). We examined the reliability and validity of the PCS in ad ult community and pain outpatient samples. The PCS showed a high internal c onsistency in both groups. Using data front the community sample, confirmat ory factor analyses showed that the PCS taps a single construct characteriz ed by three related dimensions. Gender differences were obtained on the PCS total score in the community and the outpatient samples. The analyses also showed significant differences between the community and the outpatient sa mples on the PCS total and subscales. Overall, the results showed strong ev idence of criterion-related, concurrent, and discriminant validity for the PCS in the community sample, Limitations of the present study are discussed .