An empirical investigation of the ‘Biopsychosocial Disease Consequence Model’: Psychological impairment, disability and handicap in chronic pain patients

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to emphasize the meaningfulness of a global, functional rather than a narrow medical view in the efficacy evaluation of chronic pain treatment. Therefore, the ‘Biopsychosocial Disease Consequence (BPSDC) model’ to assess function more globally than before, is presented in this article. The model is based on two theories: (1) the biopsychosocial approach and (2) WHO's classification of impairments, disabilities and handicaps. In addition to the presentation of the conceptual model, the development of the hypothetical criteria and assessment models for psychological impairments, disabilities and handicaps, and the validity testing of the psychological assessment axis are described. Within each of the three classes, i.e. psychological impairments, disabilities and handicaps, the results supported the independence of the hypothetical criteria from each other. On the other hand, results suggested that some changes to the hypothetical assessment models for some of the criteria might be valuable. It was concluded that although the most adequate psychological assessment models for function, found in this study, can be considered as robust and recommendable as one set of tools for functional assessment, the main aim of this article is to encourage multidisciplinary team efforts to develop and systematize the assessment procedures of function in patients suffering from chronic diseases.

Key Words:

• pain
• ICIDH
• functional assessment

Additional information

Notes on contributors

S. Talo

It is with great sadness that we have to inform the readership of the Journal that shortly after completing the final editorial work on this Special Issue, Professor Kalman Jacob Mann was seriously injured in a car accident and subsequently died.

Professor Mann was responsible for establishing the two Hadassah Hospitals and Community Health Centres in Jerusalem and for the past 20 years headed the Presidium of Yad Sarah, Israel's largest community based, volunteer operated organization which provides a spectrum of free or nominal cost home care services nation-wide.

We offer our condolences to his family and friends, and trust that this Special Issue stands as a testament to his work in the field.