The Reliability and Validity of the Visual Analog Mood Scales in Non-English-Speaking Pain Patients

Objectives: This study assessed the validity and reliability of the Visual Analog Mood Scales (VAMS) when administered to a non-English-speaking, headache population. Methods: The VAMS and another frequently administered measure of mood, the Profile of Mood States (POMS), were administered to sixty patients at a headache clinic in Milan, Italy. The VAMS and POMS were both administered before and after a regularly scheduled appointment at the clinic. Multitrait-multimethod analyses were conducted to assess the validity of each subscale comprising the VAMS. Results: All subscales comprising the VAMS possessed high test-retest reliability, and the "confused,""sad,""angry,""energetic," and "tired" subscales of the VAMS were shown to be valid when administered to a non-English-speaking pain population. Further, compared to age-matched controls (from available normative data), pain patients reported being significantly more confused, sad, and tense on the VAMS and significantly more tired, confused, depressed, and tense on the POMS. Discussion: Given the evidence of strong reliability and validity, the VAMS may be useful as a clinical diagnostic tool when administered to non-English-speaking pain populations.