Couples coping with chronic pain: How do intercouple interactions relate to pain coping?

Abstract

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:sec id="j_j.sjpain.2017.05.010_s_006_w2aab3b7d314b1b6b1aab1c16b1Aa"><jats:title>Background and aims</jats:title><jats:p>Pain is not merely an isolated experience occurring within the person. It takes place in a wider social context, including the immediate social relationships that the person is a part of. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of how intercouple interactions might influence pain coping in couples coping with chronic pain.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec id="j_j.sjpain.2017.05.010_s_007_w2aab3b7d314b1b6b1aab1c16b2Aa"><jats:title>Methods</jats:title><jats:p>Four different approaches to understanding the influence of intercouple interactions have been proposed in the literature. In this review, we present and discuss the empirical support for each of these models. A literature search on all studies published up until May 2017 (PubMed and PsycINFO) was performed. The search string consisted of 3 steps: Chronic pain AND couple interaction*/partner validation/marital interaction/chronic pain couple*/spouse response* AND coping/adjustment/disability/function/work participation/sick leave/sickness absence/work disability.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec id="j_j.sjpain.2017.05.010_s_008_w2aab3b7d314b1b6b1aab1c16b3Aa"><jats:title>Results</jats:title><jats:p>The operant model views partner responses from the perspective of conditioned learning and focuses on how such responses might increase or decrease the occurrence of pain behaviour. The notion that partner responses can reinforce pain behaviour generally finds support in the literature. However, when it comes to negative partner responses results are mixed, and the model paints a limited picture of the range of interactions that takes place in a couple. The communal coping model focuses on one specific type of coping (i.e. catastrophizing), and emphasizes the interpersonal aspect of pain coping. There is some evidence that a tendency to catastrophize is related both to couple interactions and pain coping, but it has proved difficult to test this model empirically. The interpersonal process model of intimacy is concerned with patient disclosures of distress and subsequent validating and invalidating partner responses. There is some preliminary support that such mechanisms of validation and invalidation can be linked to pain coping. A dyadic approach focuses on processes where the couple negotiates a shared meaning of events and participates in mutual coping of a shared stressor. This approach has not been investigated explicitly, but preliminary support can be derived from studies conducted within other frameworks.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec id="j_j.sjpain.2017.05.010_s_009_w2aab3b7d314b1b6b1aab1c16b4Aa"><jats:title>Conclusions</jats:title><jats:p>Each of the four approaches find some support in the research literature, yet none of them can explain the full range of couple interactions. We argue that the different approaches are complementary and that several of the approaches can be integrated in a dyadic understanding of pain coping.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec id="j_j.sjpain.2017.05.010_s_010_w2aab3b7d314b1b6b1aab1c16b5Aa"><jats:title>Implications</jats:title><jats:p>All the models indicate that couple interactions can affect pain coping and that this should be taken into account when developing treatment programmes for chronic pain patients.</jats:p></jats:sec>

A Dyadic Perspective on Coping and its Effects on Relationship Quality and Psychological Distress in Couples Living with Chronic Pain: A Longitudinal Study

“…Partners who often become the primary caregiver and source of emotional support for the patients while also dealing with their own emotions of witnessing their loved one suffer make significant adjustments and changes to their daily living and also long-term life plans. Pain becomes a shared stressor between the couple who confer shared meaning to the experience and employ mutual coping strategies [24]. This dyadic conceptualization of coping with pain recognizes the interdependence between intimate relationships and opens a new understanding of how coping with pain can affect their relationship and wellbeing.…”

A Brief Survey of the COVID-19 Pandemic's Impact on the Chronic Pain Experience

“…social support, pain-related cognitions). Prenevost & Reme (2017) describe the consistent relationship between couples functioning and psychological distress in pain samples. McKillop and colleagues (2017) found that poor social support was predictive of depressive symptoms in patients with pain at one year.…”

Learning and Unlearning of Pain

“…When the significant other showed comforting and caring behavior towards the chronic pain patient, the pain increased in contrast to a situation without the significant other [ 13 ]. Findings by Prenevost and Reme [ 15 ] also underline the importance of a significant other on pain coping strategies. During the process of dealing with pain, the interaction between the significant other and the pain patient is an important underlying factor.…”