A Communal Coping Intervention for Couples Managing Chronic Illness: Proof-of-Concept Study

Communal coping is an interpersonal coping strategy defined as the appraisal of a problem as shared and collaboration to manage it. Despite evidence establishing links of communal coping to health, few interventions have involved communal coping. This study seeks to establish proof of concept that an intervention rooted in communal coping theory can impact couple members' communal coping and intermediary outcomes.

Couples (n = 40) in which one person has type 2 diabetes were randomly assigned to intervention versus control in a parallel randomized trial with 1:1 allocation. The intervention consisted of a single session focused on discussion of shared stressors, communal coping education, and collaborative implementation intentions followed by 7 days of text message reinforcement. Couples were interviewed in-person, received the intervention or active control, and completed 7 daily questionnaires. Communal coping and intermediary outcomes associated with communal coping were assessed daily. Feasibility and acceptability were also assessed.

The intervention increased reports of both patient and partner shared appraisal and collaboration and impacted some intermediary outcomes of communal coping. Compared to control, intervention participants reported greater perceived partner responsiveness, patient support receipt, and partner confidence in patient illness self-efficacy.

This study provides initial proof of concept that an intervention based on communal coping theory can increase couples' communal coping-both shared appraisal and collaboration. Additionally, the intervention was able to impact some intermediary outcomes that may be linked to downstream health outcomes for both patients and partners.