What is the pain catastrophizing scale used for?

What is the pain catastrophizing scale used for?

Purpose. The Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) is a 13-item self-report measure designed to assess catastrophic thinking related to pain among adults with or without chronic pain.

How do you manage pain catastrophizing?

Counselling to deal with anxiety and depression can help to reduce the feelings of helplessness that come with pain catastrophizing, and put you in a better mental state to begin other therapies directed towards your catastrophizing as explained here. CBT helps you to change how you think about your pain.

What is catastrophizing technique in CBT?

Catastrophizing is a way of thinking called a ‘cognitive distortion. ‘ A person who catastrophizes usually sees an unfavorable outcome to an event and then decides that if this outcome does happen, the results will be a disaster.

Who invented catastrophizing?

The term catastrophizing was formally introduced by Albert Ellis [3] and subsequently adapted by Aaron Beck [4] to describe a mal-adaptive cognitive style employed by patients with anxiety and depressive disorders.

How is the pain catastrophizing scale scored?

The Pain Catastrophizing Scale was introduced in 1995. It is a self-report measure, consisting of 13 items scored from 0 to 4, resulting in a total possible score of 52. The higher the score, the more catastrophizing thoughts are present.

Is catastrophizing a coping mechanism?

It’s unclear what exactly causes catastrophizing. It could be a coping mechanism learned from family or other important people in a person’s life. It could be a result of an experience, or could be related to brain chemistry.

Is there medicine for catastrophizing?

Medication. If your catastrophizing is linked to another condition, such as depression, your doctor might prescribe medication for that underlying condition. That said, there’s no medicine that specifically treats catastrophizing.

What is a high score on the pain catastrophizing scale?

Higher scores indicate higher levels of pain-related anxiety. The following pain anxiety severity levels have been recommended for clinical interpretation: mild = 0 to 34; moderate = 35 to 67; and severe = 68 to 100.

What are examples of catastrophizing?

Catastrophizing is when someone assumes that the worst will happen. Often, it involves believing that you’re in a worse situation than you really are or exaggerating the difficulties you face. For example, someone might worry that they’ll fail an exam.

Why does catastrophizing happen?

Catastrophizing occurs when an individual assumes the worst will come true. It typically involves a belief that one is in a more dire situation than normal. Most of the time, the individual mistakenly exaggerates the problems he/she faces.

What is the pain anxiety symptom scale?

The PASS-20 is a 20-item self-report measure to assess pain-related anxiety. The scale contains four subscales: cognitive anxiety, escape/avoidance behaviors, fear of pain, and physiological symptoms of anxiety. Each item is rated on a six-point scale ranging from 0 (never) to 5 (always).