Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (Brief IPQ)

Abstract

The Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (Brief IPQ) is a 9-item questionnaire designed to rapidly assess cognitive and emotional representations of illness (Broadbent et al 2006). The Brief IPQ uses a single-item scale approach to assess perception on a 0-10 response scale. It is developed by forming one question that best summarises the items contained in each subscale of the Illness Perception Questionnaire-Revised which has over 80 items. The Brief IBQ comprises 5 items on cognitive representation of illness perception: consequences, timeline, personal control, treatment control, and identity. There are 2 items on emotional representation: concern and emotions. One item is on illness comprehensibility. The last item is on perceived cause of illness, in which respondents list the three most important causal factors in their illness. For this questionnaire, the general word 'illness' can be replaced by the name of a particular illness such as asthma. The word 'treatment' in the treatment control item can be replaced by a particular treatment such as 'surgery' or 'physiotherapy' (Broadbent et al 2006). Reliability and validity: Good test-retest reliability (Pearson correlations 0.24-0.73) had been demonstrated (Broadbent et al 2006). Equivalent scales of the brief IPQ and IPQ-R had moderate to good correlations when tested for concurrent validity (Pearson correlations 0.32-0.63) (Broadbent et al 2006). The Brief IPQ predicted a number of key outcomes following myocardial infarct. Slower return to work was significantly associated with higher concern (r = 0.43, p= 0.03) and higher treatment control beliefs (r = 0.44, p= 0.03). The subscales of consequences, identity, concern, and emotional response were significantly associated with cardiac anxiety (r = 0.33-0.47) (Broadbent et al 2006). The discriminant validity of the questionnaire was supported by its ability to distinguish between different illnesses, namely asthma, diabetes, colds, myocardial infarct prior to discharge, and prediagnosis chest pain patients waiting stress exercise testing. © 2012 Australian Physiotherapy Association.