The role of marital interaction in chronic pain and depressive symptom severity
Open accessAbstract
Several investigators have noted the moderating role of the spouse in determining the severity and disability associated with the experience of chronic pain. In this study, pain-contingent responses from spouses, but not global marital satisfaction, accounted for a significant proportion of the variance in reported pain severity. Global marital satisfaction predicted depressive symptom severity. The interaction between global marital satisfaction and the reported frequency of punishing responses to pain behavior added significantly to the prediction of depressive symptoms. Similarly, the interaction between marital satisfaction and degree of spouse solicitousness significantly predicted pain severity. These results are consistent with evolving literatures on the important relationship between marital distress, aversive communication and depression on the one hand, and the potentially deleterious role of the solicitous spouse in the maintenance of chronic pain on the other.
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Perceptions of spouses' tendency to respond empathically mediated the relationship of perceived support to marital satisfaction and depressive symptoms.
“Fekete et al. 7 found that perceptions of the spouses’ tendency to respond empathically mediated the relationship of perceived support to marital satisfaction and depressive symptoms.”
From Empathic and nonempathic interaction in chronic pain couples. (2008) · cites this paper as [7]
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- Authors
- Kerns, R. D., Haythornthwaite, J., Southwick, S., & Giller, E. L.
- Affiliations
- Yale University (US)
- National Institute on Aging (US)
- University of Connecticut (US)
- Corresponding author
- Kerns, R.D.
- Venue
- Journal of Psychosomatic Research
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 1990
- Volume
- 34
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 401-408
- ISSN
- 0022-3999 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2001061467
- Cited by
- 164
- References
- 32
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 16
- FWCI
- 2.51
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Journal of Psychosomatic Research (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Musculoskeletal pain and rehabilitation
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Pain Mechanisms and Treatments
- Keywords
- chronic pain, depressive symptoms, marital interaction, marital satisfaction, pain intensity, marital distress
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Back Pain, Chronic Disease, Depression, Female, Humans, Male, Marriage, Pain, Pain Measurement, Personality Inventory, Sick Role
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