Chronic pain patient-partner interactions: Further support for a behavioral model of chronic pain

Abstract

This study tested hypotheses derived from behavioral theory concerning relationships between patient pain behaviors and partner responses. Before beginning a multidisciplinary pain treatment program, 121 patients (67 women, 54 men) with chronic musculoskeletal pain and their spouses or partners completed self-report measures of pain, pain behaviors, partner responses, physical disability, depression, and relationship satisfaction, and were videotaped while participating together in seven household activities. The videotapes were coded by trained observers for patient verbal and nonverbal pain behaviors and partner solicitous and negative behaviors using the Living in Family Environments (LIFE) coding system. As predicted, partner solicitous and negative behaviors were associated significantly with the rate of patient pain behaviors, after controlling for patient age, gender, and pain intensity. The findings provide further support for behavioral models of chronic pain.