Assessing psychosocial profile in the physical therapy setting

Purpose

Physical therapists play a crucial role in managing persistent pain and disability. Since psychosocial factors are important predictors of poor patient outcomes, it is essential that clinicians understand how to utilize validated instruments to assess psychosocial profile in the clinical setting. The following article reviews the psychometric properties and clinical application of the Keele Subgroups for Targeted Treatment Back Screening Tool (SBT), Optimal Screening for Prediction of Referral and Outcome Yellow Flag (OSPRO-YF), Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK), Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (PSEQ), and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ).

Results

Multidimensional screening tools, such as the SBT and OSPRO-YF, are useful prognostic indicators of long-term disability and the presence of yellow flags that may be contributing to patient presentation, respectively. This can guide both the treatment and administration of specific, unidimensional psychosocial assessment tools. The following cutoffs are identified as moderate elevation of psychosocial profile which can be used to inform clinical practice: PCS ≥20, TSK >37, PSEQ ≥40, and PHQ-9 ≥10.

Conclusion

Valid and reliable unidimensional and multidimensional psychosocial assessment tools provide important prognostic information to inform a patient's psychosocial profile and subsequently improve clinical efficiency and patient outcomes.