Abstract
The Pain Assessment Index is a weighted composite of MMPI scales which has been shown tobe useful in predicting surgical outcome for chronic pain patients. In this study, 48 patients treated at a nonsurgical multidisciplinary pain clinic were categorized into predicted success (N=23) or predicted failure (N=25) groups based on their PAI scores. The groups did not differ on any of the pretreatment variables, and they differed on only one follow-up outcome measure. More patients in the predicted failure group reported using narcotics than did their predicted success group counterparts. Implications of these results and recommendations for future research are discussed. J Pain Sympt Manag 1987;2:23–27.