Factors that Influence Coping with Chronic Noncancer Pain in European Countries: A Systematic Review of Measuring Instruments

Abstract

Background and aim: Coping can be defined as the cognitive efforts and behavioral practices that people develop in situations which they consider to be stressful. In people with Chronic Non-Cancer Pain (CNCP), coping is influenced by the biological, psychological, and socio-cultural resources available to them. The aim of this systematic review is to evaluate the psychometric properties of European measuring instruments related to coping with CNCP in non-hospitalized adults.

Database and data treatment: The review was conducted following the guidelines of the PRISMA Statement and the methodological framework of the Joanna Briggs Institute. The CINAHL, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were searched by two reviewers independently. The analysis of psychometric properties was performed using the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) checklist, and the risk of bias was analyzed using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Study-2 (QUADAS-2) tool.

Results: Thirty-six studies validated twenty-four different instruments. The Portuguese version of the Pain Beliefs and Perceptions Inventory (PBPI), which assess catastrophizing, and the Spanish version of the Roland-Morris Questionnaire (RMQ), which assess disability, are the instruments with the best methodological quality and bias control.

Conclusions: There are important gaps in the measurement of different aspects of pain coping, such as stress, social and family support, or self-care. Future studies could consider the creation of an instrument to comprehensively assess the resources that influence coping with chronic non-cancer pain.