PAIN COPING STRATEGIES THAT PREDICT PATIENTS AND SPOUSES RATINGS OF PATIENTS SELF-EFFICACY

This study examined the relationship of pain coping strategies to oste oarthritis patients' ratings of self-efficacy and to spouses' ratings of the patients' self-efficacy. Subjects, 130 individuals having osteo arthritis of the knees and persistent knee pain, completed a pain copi ng strategies measure (the Coping Strategies Questionnaire), a measure of self-efficacy (the Arthritis Self-Efficacy Scale), and a measure o f pain (the McGill Pain Questionnaire), Two sets of regression analyse s were conducted, one examining the degree to which pain coping strate gies predicted patients' self-efficacy ratings, and the other examinin g the degree to which coping strategies predicted spouses' ratings of the patients' self-efficacy. Several pain coping strategies were found to predict a significant proportion of variance in patients' ratings of self-efficacy: (i) ignoring pain sensations was related to higher s elf-efficacy for pain; (ii) coping self statements were related to hig her self-efficacy for controlling other arthritis symptoms (e.g., fati gue or mood symptoms; and (iii) catastrophizing was related to lower s elf-efficacy for pain, and self-efficacy for other arthritis symptoms. Pain coping strategies were also found to predict a significant propo rtion of variance in spouses' ratings of the patients' self-efficacy, Specifically: (i) diverting attention was related to lower spousal rat ings of self-efficacy for pain; (ii) praying or hoping was related to lower spousal ratings of self-efficacy for function; and (iii) catastr ophizing was related to lower spousal ratings of self-efficacy for con trol of fatigue or mood symptoms. The findings regarding coping strate gies were particularly interesting in that they were obtained even aft er controlling for pain intensity and demographic variables. The pain coping strategies identified are potentially important targets for cog nitive-behavioral assessment and treatment efforts. Interventions desi gned to increase the use of adaptive pain coping strategies and decrea se the use of maladaptive pain coping strategies could enhance self-ef ficacy, reduce pain, and improve the physical and psychological functi oning of individuals having osteoarthritis. (C) 1997 International Ass ociation for the Study of Pain. Published by Elsevier Science B.V.