Validation of the Sensitivity to Pain Traumatization Scale (SPTS) in a Clinical Sample of Post-Cardiac Surgery Patients With Persistent Pain

The present study aimed to validate the psychometric properties of the Sensitivity to Pain Traumatization Scale (SPTS), which measures the propensity to develop anxiety-related somatic, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral responses to pain the resemble features of a traumatic reaction. The factor structure, reliability, and construct validity of the scale were evaluated using a sample of 108 patients that reported chronic pain post-cardiac surgery. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was used to test the underlying organizational hierarchy of the scale, and it was found to have a one-factor structure, consistent with previous research (e.g. Kleiman et al., 2011; Roosen, 2009). The 12-item SPTS demonstrated promising psychometric properties, including excellent reliability, and good preliminary construct validity. The results of the analyses suggest that the scale is reliable for use in various settings. Additionally, 12-item SPTS scores were correlated with current pain intensity ratings, and were higher in women compared with men.