The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index: Reliability, Factor Structure, and Related Clinical Factors among Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults with Chronic Pain

This study is aimed at assessing the psychometric properties and the factorial structure of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) in a clinical sample of children, adolescents, and young adults with chronic pain. Data of 482 participants (aged 8-21 years) from two crosssectional studies and a chronic pain services outpatient clinic were analyzed. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis and reliability analysis of PSQI component scores were performed. Relationships between the PSQI global score and various clinical measures were investigated to assess external validity. The findings exhibit the reliability and validity of a single-factor model of the PSQI in a clinical sample of youth with chronic pain and support the relationship in this specific population between poor sleep quality and important clinical measures of well-being. These results support an informed decision regarding its use with this specific population and underscore the clinical relevance of assessing sleep quality.