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

This study tested hypotheses derived from behavioral theory concerning rela tionships between patient pain behaviors and partner responses. Before begi nning a multidisciplinary pain treatment program, 121 patients (67 women, 5 4 men) with chronic musculoskeletal pain and their spouses or partners comp leted self-report measures of pain, pain behaviors, partner responses, phys ical disability, depression, and relationship satisfaction, and were videot aped while participating together in seven household activities. The videot apes 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 pati ent pain behaviors, after controlling for patient age, gender, and pain int ensity. The findings provide further support for behavioral models of chron ic pain.