A classification of illness behaviour in pain clinic patients

The Illness Behaviour Questionnaire (IBQ) (Pilowsky and Spence 1983) was administered to 824 pain clinic patients over a 10-year period. Their responses to this 62-item self-report questionnaire were analysed using a numerical taxonomy programme. Of the 6 valid classes generated, 2 classes were delineated by at least 5 unique items. The main difference between these 2 classes, revealed by the item responses, was the acceptance or rejection of a psychological viewpoint. Comparison on the basis of mean IBQ scale scores indicated that, while members of both classes maintained the presence of a somatic disorder, they differed not only in their report of psychological symptoms but also by whether they showed an awareness of life problems unrelated to their physical problems.