Chronic pain in a couples context: a review and integration of theoretical models and empirical evidence

Abstract

Researchers have become increasingly interested in the social context of chronic pain conditions. The purpose of this article is to provide an integrated review of the evidence linking marital functioning with chronic pain outcomes including pain severity, physical disability, pain behaviors, and psychological distress. We first present an overview of existing models that identify an association between marital functioning and pain variables. We then review the empirical evidence for a relationship between pain variables and several marital functioning variables including marital satisfaction, spousal support, spouse responses to pain, and marital interaction. On the basis of the evidence, we present a working model of marital and pain variables, identify gaps in the literature, and offer recommendations for research and clinical work.

Perspective: The authors provide a comprehensive review of the relationships between marital functioning and chronic pain variables to advance future research and help treatment providers understand marital processes in chronic pain.

Figures

Figure 1

Working model of the interrelationships between marital functioning, pain, and psychological distress. Variables printed in bold have been demonstrated in this review to have consistent relationships with other variables in the model. Variables printed in italics need further study before strong conclusions can be made.