BackgroundThe Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK), an instrument for measuring fear of movement/(re)injury, has been confirmed as an important predictor for the persistence of pain-related disability. The aims of this study were to evaluate the psychometric properties of a German version of the TSK (TSK-GV), examining aspects of content validity with special focus on fear-avoidance and endurance, and to confirm criterion-related validity in patients with low back pain (LBP).MethodsA total of 191 patients with LBP were included in this study. Several models with different factor structures from published studies were compared in a confirmatory factor analysis. Internal consistencies of the TSK-GV and its subscales were examined, and correlations with related self-report measures were calculated.ResultsThe internal consistency of the TSK-GV was α = 0.73. A two-factor model with 11 items was found to be the best fit for our data. The two factors were labelled Somatic Focus (SF) and Activity Avoidance (AA). The total score, SF and AA revealed moderate to high correlations with other fear-avoidance variables.ConclusionsThe TSK-GV is a reliable and valid measure for assessing the fear of movement/(re)injury.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1471-2474-15-280) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Cognitive mediators, such as help-/hopelessness, catastrophizing, and thought suppression, have a significant impact on depression in patients with acute and sub-acute back pain. The current results may aid in the optimization of treatments for these patients by focusing attention toward the modification of dysfunctional cognitive pain-coping strategies.

Chronic back pain is of enormous health and economic relevance for industrialized countries because a small group of patients with chronic disease is responsible for a large proportion of medical costs. The prevention of chronic disease is therefore a primary goal in the treatment of patients with acute low back pain. Psychological factors are the central risk factors for later chronification. Above all, especially depressive symptoms and occupational distress, as well as various maladaptive forms of pain management are central risk factors. It remains unclear which exact cognitive mechanisms are involved in the maintenance and reinforcement of depression and pain-related disability. In this review, the current results of cognitive bias research and theoretical models are presented and summarized regarding the relationship between chronic pain and depression. Finally, the clinical implications and recommendations for clinical research will be presented.

Zusammenfassung. Theoretischer Hintergrund: Der Übungshäufigkeit wird im Rahmen der Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) eine große Bedeutung zugeschrieben. Fragestellung: Üben MBCT-Patienten den Vorgaben entsprechend und weisen Patienten, die häufiger üben, ein geringeres Rückfallrisiko auf? Methoden: Die Übungshäufigkeit der 24 ehemals depressiven Patienten wurde direkt nach der MBCT sowie nach 6 und 12 Monaten erhoben. Rückfälle wurden 12 Monate nach Ende der Behandlung erfasst. Ergebnisse: Während des MBCT-Programms übten die Patienten weitgehend den Vorgaben entsprechend. Patienten, die nicht rückfällig wurden, übten in den sechs Monaten nach Behandlungsende den Bodyscan und die Meditation signifikant häufiger als Patienten, die einen Rückfall erleiden. Schlussfolgerungen: Es konnte ein erster Hinweis für die Relevanz der Übungshäufigkeit bezüglich der Wirksamkeit der MBCT gefunden werden.

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