Scale Analysis

The Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale [PAIS-44] was developed in 1978 by Morrow and his colleagues. It is suitable for collecting information regarding patients’ views on their adjustment to chronic illness.

Purpose

The main objective of the scale is to evaluate the psychological and social adjustment of patients to chronic disease. It can be applied to various categories of chronically ill individuals (e.g., cardiac patients, renal patients, cancer patients, etc.) and is administered either by trained physicians, nurses, psychologists, or social workers through semi-structured interviews with the patients, or it can be self-completed by the patients themselves.

Item Calibration

The PAIS-44 consists of 44 items in total, answered using a 4-point Likert scale ranging from 0 (no impairment) to 4 (marked impairment). The questions are categorized into 7 main areas of Quality of Life: health care, professional/work environment, home environment, sexual relationships, extended family relationships, social environment, and psychological distress (e.g., anxiety, depression, etc.).

Statistical Analysis

The scale yields a total score ranging from 0 to 132. Lower scores indicate better adjustment, whereas higher scores suggest poorer psychological and social status of the patient.

Validity and Reliability

Studies have shown that the PAIS demonstrates good reliability and validity. It is also considered appropriate for measuring specific aspects of adjustment/maladjustment. Furthermore, it is recommended for use in large-scale studies aimed at clarifying conflicting information, comparing adjustment to different treatment modalities, and assessing the effectiveness of various psychotherapeutic interventions.

References

Morrow, G. R., Chiarello, R. J., & Derogatis, L. R. (1978). A new scale for assessing patients’ psychosocial adjustment to medical illness. Psychological Medicine, 8(4), 605–610.