Factor loadings of the Helplessness and Internality factors from the exploratory factor analysis 9-item solution.
| Item (original RAI item number)a | Helplessness Factor | Internality Factor |
|---|---|---|
| 1. My condition is controlling my life. (1) | 0.592 | 0.048 |
| 2. I can reduce my pain by staying calm and relaxed. (3) | 0.051 | 0.424 |
| 3. If I do all the right things, I can successfully manage my condition. (5) | 0.133 | 0.431 |
| 4. When I manage my personal life well, my condition does not flare up as much. (8) | −0.004 | 0.712 |
| 5. I have considerable ability to control my pain. (9) | 0.187 | 0.534 |
| 6. I would feel helpless if I couldn’t rely on other people for help with my condition. (10) | 0.717 | −0.427 |
| 7. No matter what I do or how hard I try, I just can’t seem to get relief from my pain. (12) | 0.637 | 0.033 |
| 8. I am coping effectively with my condition. (13) | 0.462 | 0.102 |
| 9. It seems that fate and other factors beyond my control affect my condition. (14) | 0.457 | −0.056 |
↵a Dropped items included the following: Item 2: Managing my condition is largely my own responsibility; Item 4: Too often my pain just seems to hit me out of the blue; Item 6: I can do a lot of things myself to cope with my condition; Item 7: When it comes to my condition, I feel I can only do what my doctor tells me to do; Item 11: Usually, I can tell when my condition is going to flare up; Item 15: I want to learn as much as I can about my condition.