Chronic Pain in a Couples Context: A Review and Integration of Theoretical Models and Empirical Evidence

Abstract

Researchers have become increasingly interested in the social context of chronic pain conditions. The purpose of this article is to provide an integrated review of the evidence linking marital functioning with chronic pain outcomes including pain severity, physical disability, pain behaviors, and psychological distress. We first present an overview of existing models that identify an association between marital functioning and pain variables. We then review the empirical evidence for a relationship between pain variables and several marital functioning variables including marital satisfaction, spousal support, spouse responses to pain, and marital interaction. On the basis of the evidence, we present a working model of marital and pain variables, identify gaps in the literature, and offer recommendations for research and clinical work.Perspective-The authors provide a comprehensive review of the relationships between marital functioning and chronic pain variables to advance future research and help treatment providers understand marital processes in chronic pain.

Impact of male partner responses on sexual function in women with vulvodynia and their partners: A dyadic daily experience study.

“…No associations were found between solicitous and negative partner responses and sexual function, and facilitative responses were not assessed. These findings were surprising given that previous pain studies have found a significant positive relationship between solicitous and negative partner responses and disability, although a few studies failed to find an association (Leonard et al, 2006) for review). However, the vulvodynia study used single occasion, retrospective measures, which may have introduced recall biases.…”

“…There is growing evidence that interpersonal factors affect the physical health of couples 5 (Diamond, Hicks, & Otter-Henderson, 2011), and specifically that interpersonal factors increase the risk for developing and maintaining chronic pain conditions (Leonard, Cano, & Johansen, 2006). The communal coping model (CCM) of pain suggests that expressions of pain to significant others may serve to evoke particular responses, such as assistance (Sullivan et al, 2001).…”

Life satisfaction in patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain and its predictors

“…By contrast, patients with CMP were actually found to be more satisfied with partnership than respondents from the general population sample. Although pain may change some aspects of the relationship with one's partner and family members [28], it has no negative impact on satisfaction with these relationships. It is likely that emotional aspects such as love and affection dominate a person's feelings towards their partner and family.…”

Older adults’ preferences for formal social support of autonomy and dependence in pain: development and validation of a scale

“…The negative relationship between physical and social activity engagement and chronic pain disability is central to current theoretical models and is widely empirically supported (e.g., Leeuw et al 2007;Vlaeyen and Linton, 2012). Although, a great deal of research has been focusing on the cognitive and affective determinants of activity dis/engagement and pain disability (e.g., catastrophizing, kinesiophobia, hypervigilance), there is also accumulating evidence supporting the role of social relations on chronic pain outcomes (e.g., Krahé et al 2013;Leonard et al 2006;Hadjistavropoulos et al 2011). …”