CHRONIC PAIN PATIENT SPOUSE BEHAVIORAL INTERACTIONS PREDICT PATIENT DISABILITY

Based on behavioral theory, it has been hypothesized that spouse solic itous responses to the pain behaviors of chronic pain patients may con tribute to the maintenance of pain behaviors and disability. Self-repo rt data support this hypothesis, but direct observational measures hav e not been used to study this association. In this study, 50 chronic p ain patients and their spouses were videotaped while engaging in commo n household activities, and patient pain behaviors and spouse solicito us behaviors were coded from the tapes. Spouse solicitous responses to non-verbal pain behaviors were significant predictors of physical dis ability in the more depressed patients, and were significant predictor s of rate of non-verbal pain behavior in patients who reported greater pain. Spouse solicitous responses did not predict psychosocial dysfun ction or total self-reported pain behaviors. The results support behav ioral theory and indicate the need for further study of the associatio n between spouse solicitousness and patient pain behaviors/disability.