Freiburg complaints list

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The Freiburg Complaints List (FBL) is a standardized questionnaire for physical complaints. Current, situational and chronic physical complaints are recorded, but not in the sense of a medical examination or anamnesis. The 71 complaints are therefore not classified according to medical criteria, but represent patterns of everyday complaints as experienced by the respondents. The statistical analyzes of population-representative data led to nine patterns or functional syndromes. The total value formed from the answers is an index of physical discomfort (lamentation) and can be used in psychological diagnostics and research.

The FBL was developed at the Psychological Institute of the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg under the direction of Professor Jochen Fahrenberg .

Development and content

The FBL has been developed since 1966 in a series of investigations from originally 230 questions and finally reduced to 71 questions (items) for 9 areas. These analyzes showed that the questions about the "frequency" or "intensity" of the complaints led to largely similar patterns. Therefore, the revised version FBL-R only asks about the frequency of a complaint. For the answer there are 5-step scales which - in contrast to other lists of complaints of this type - require more specific statements about the frequency of the complaint: "almost daily", "about 3 times a week", "about 2 times a month" , "about twice a year", "never" (compared to "often", "sometimes" etc.).

The questionnaire was checked for test quality criteria and standardized in a representative survey of 2070 people. These comparative values ​​are broken down by gender and four age groups. The test answers are evaluated either using templates or with the aid of a computer (after entering data on the PC).

The 10 scales are:

  1. General condition (example: "Do you have a poor appetite?")
  2. Fatigue (example: "Do you tire quickly?")
  3. Cardiovascular system (example: "Is your heart beating irregularly?")
  4. Gastrointestinal tract (example: "Do you have a sensitive stomach?")
  5. Head and Neck Irritation Syndrome (Example: "Do you have difficulty swallowing?")
  6. Tension (example: "Do you suddenly break into a sweat?")
  7. Emotional reactivity (example: "Do you feel it all over your body when you get upset about something?")
  8. Pain (Example: "Do you have neck pain?")
  9. Sensor technology (example: "Are you sensitive to loud noises and tones?")
  10. as well as the total complaint (from the 71 items)

The representative survey revealed numerous connections with socio-demographic characteristics, including gender (higher values ​​for women) and age (older people with higher values) as well as indicators of health behavior.

application

Questions about general well-being and physical complaints are an essential part of the medical anamnesis, but also of the psychological diagnosis. In addition, standardized questionnaires have proven effective for some clinical-psychological and epidemiological questions. Physical complaints are ambiguous, however, because many conditions and intentions can influence them, especially in chronic illnesses. In addition to your own body sensations, your own attempts at explanations and popular medical knowledge will also be important. The FBL does not form a medically oriented description system, but a standardized and standardized self-assessment procedure using test methods. Mental health and physical complaints are essential aspects of mental and somatic health and the need for therapy. The physical complaints are therefore an important aspect of psychotherapy, rehabilitation and health psychology and general life satisfaction.

literature

  • Elmar Brähler (Ed.): Body experience. A subjective expression of body and soul. Contributions to psychosomatic medicine. Springer, Berlin 1986.
  • Jochen Fahrenberg: The Freiburg Complaints List (FBL). Form FBL-G and revised form FBL-R. Manual instruction. Hogrefe, Göttingen, 1994.
  • Michael Myrtek: Healthy sick - sick healthy . Psychophysiology of Disease Behavior. Huber, Bern 1998.
  • James W. Pennebaker: The psychology of physical symptoms. Springer, New York 1982.

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