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Chronic pain patient-spouse behavioral interactions predict patient disability
Joan M Romano1, Judith A Turner, Mark P Jensen
1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (RP-10), University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 USA Department of Rehabilitation Medicine (RJ-30), University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 USA Good Samaritan Hospital, 1015 NW 22nd Avenue, Portland, OR 97210 USA Oregon Research Institute, 1715 Franklin Boulevard, Eugene, OR 97403 USA.
Pain
|December 1, 1995
Summary
Spouses
Area of Science:
- Behavioral psychology
- Chronic pain management
- Marital dynamics
Background:
- Behavioral theory suggests spouse solicitous responses may maintain chronic pain behaviors and disability.
- Previous research relied on self-report, lacking direct observational data.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between spouse solicitous behaviors and patient pain behaviors/disability using direct observation.
- To test behavioral theory predictions in a real-world context.
Main Methods:
- 50 chronic pain patients and their spouses were videotaped during household activities.
- Patient pain behaviors and spouse solicitous behaviors were objectively coded from recordings.
Main Results:
- Spouse solicitous responses to non-verbal pain behaviors predicted physical disability in depressed patients.
- Solicitous responses also predicted the rate of non-verbal pain behavior in patients reporting higher pain levels.
- No significant association was found with psychosocial dysfunction or total self-reported pain behaviors.
Conclusions:
- Findings support behavioral theory regarding the role of spouse solicitousness in chronic pain.
- Direct observation confirms a link between solicitous responses and specific pain outcomes.
- Further research is needed to explore the nuances of this interaction.