METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MEASUREMENT OF PSYCHOLOGICAL PAIN AS A CONSTRUCT FOR DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENT, AND DRUG DEVELOPMENT

摘要

Disclosed are methods and a scale for providing a multidimensional indication of mental pain being experienced by a person that includes multiple selection indicators, each being indicative of variations of a respective dimension of mental pain. A scale for measuring psychological pain includes a plurality of scale items, each scale item being directed to either a measure of psychological pain intensity or to a measure of psychological pain quality. The method of the invention includes the steps of providing such a scale, using it to assess the level of mental pain experienced by a patient, and using the output to recommend therapeutic regimes for the patient. The method also includes using the output to assess the effectiveness of a given therapeutic regime on a patient, or population of patients such as found in clinical trials. Finally, the method is designed to enable drug development efforts to treat psychological, and other forms of, pain.