BACKGROUND: Self-efficacy is the belief about one’s personal ability to perform a task or specific behavior successfully. Self-efficacy is a key concept to manage chronic diseases and the studies about it are insufficient in Brazil. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate chronic pain patient’s self-efficacy belief and relate to social demographic variables, pain and depressive symptoms. METHODS: The convenience sample was 132 subjects. The instruments utilized were Chronic Pain Self-efficacy Scale (CPSS) in Portuguese version (AEDC) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). RESULTS: The self-efficacy average score was 170.8 (DP = 56.7). Low self-efficacy was observed in 8 year education level patients compared to 9 to 11 year education level (p = 0.015). Higher self-efficacy was observed in patients with lower pain intensity (p = 0.042). The AEDC was negative correlated to IDB depression (r = - 0.48; p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with 8 year education level showed low self-efficacy than patients with 9 to 11 year education level. Subjects with lower pain intensity and fewer depressive symptoms showed higher self-efficacy scores.
Self-efficacy; chronic pain; depression; beliefs
