Pain Coping Inventory (PCI)
Measures active and passive coping strategies in individuals experiencing chronic pain.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Pain Coping Inventory (PCI) was developed by Kraaimaat F. W., Bakker A. H., Evers A. W. M. (1997). It is designed to measure Pain Coping Strategies. The scale is intended for use with Adults and elderly individuals with chronic pain.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 33 items organized into 8 factors/subscales: Distraction, Pain Transformation, Reducing Demands, Worrying, Retreating, Resting, Active Coping, Passive Coping.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Distraction | 1,2,3,4,5 | 5 |
| Pain Transformation | 6,7,8,9,10 | 5 |
| Reducing Demands | 11,12,13 | 3 |
| Worrying | 14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22 | 9 |
| Retreating | 23,24,25,26,27,28,29 | 7 |
| Resting | 30,31,32,33 | 4 |
| Active Coping | 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13 | 13 |
| Passive Coping | 14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33 | 20 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Hardly ever, 2 = Sometimes, 3 = Frequently, 4 = Very often.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 1 to 4. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low strategy usage: 1 – 2
- Moderate strategy usage: 2 – 3
- High strategy usage: 3 – 4
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Cronbach's alpha ranges from 0.71 to 0.86 for the subscales..
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.