Self-reported spousal support modifies the negative impact of pain on disability in men with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: To examine changes in the association between pain and patient quality of life (QoL), depressive symptoms, and disability in men with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) at varying levels of spouse responses to pain. MATERIAL AND METHODS: One-hundred eighty-eight men with CP/CPPS completed a questionnaire, including demographic information. The outcome variables were mental QoL (SF-12 MCS), physical QoL (SF-12 PCS), depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale), and disability (Pain Disability Index). Patients also reported on the types of responses they had from their spouses (Multidimensional Pain Inventory), and pain (Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire). RESULTS: The association between pain and disability was stronger at higher levels of solicitous responses (eg, "Does some of my chores") (ß = 0.66, P <.05) than it was at moderate (ß = 0.44, P <.05) and lower (ß = 0.23, ns) levels. In contrast, the association between pain and disability was stronger at lower levels (ß = 0.64, P <.05) of distracting responses (eg, "Tries to get me involved in some activity") than it was at moderate (ß = 0.44, P <.05) and higher (ß = 0.25, P <.05) levels. CONCLUSIONS: Solicitous responses to pain increased the negative impact of pain on disability, whereas distracting responses to pain decreased the negative impact of pain on disability in men with CP/CPPS. Solicitous responses may be a reaction to patient pain and associated disability, or may help create or maintain the patient's pain and disability. In either case, distracting rather than solicitous responses to patient pain are to be encouraged in symptom management.

Spousal support decreases the negative impact of pain on mental quality of life in women with interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: • To examine whether spousal responses to patient pain would alter the association between pain and patient health-related quality of life (HRQL), depression and disability. METHODS: • Ninety-six women with IC/PBlS (mean age = 50.6 (13.8); mean time since diagnosis = 6.2 years) completed questionnaires on demographics, depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale), disability (Pain Disability Index), HRQL (Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 12) and a measure of perceived spousal responses to their pain (Multidimensional Pain Inventory). • A repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance examined association changes between pain and adjustment variables at high, moderate and low levels of negative, solicitous and distracting spousal responses. RESULTS: • The association between pain and all outcome variables did not vary as a function of levels of solicitous and negative spousal responses. • However, the association between pain and mental HRQL was stronger at lower levels (ß=-1.25) of distracting responses than it was at moderate (ß=-0.66) and higher (ß=-0.06) levels. CONCLUSION: • Distracting spousal responses act to 'buffer' the deleterious effects of pain on mental HRQL for women suffering from IC/PBlS. Spousal support training may be a useful HRQL intervention.

Revisiting the relationship between depressive symptoms and marital communication using an experimental paradigm: the moderating effect of acute sad mood.

Although research has consistently demonstrated an association between depression and negative marital interactions, it remains unclear whether marital behaviors are specifically associated with depression, above and beyond the effects of a troubled marital relationship. Past research investigating this question has produced inconsistent results. In the present study, we re-examine this question and suggest that one possible reason for past inconsistencies is that across different investigations, samples may have differed in the acute mood state of the depressed partner. It is possible that the marital communication behaviors associated with depression only become evident during acute sad mood states. Seventy-one heterosexual couples who varied on marital satisfaction levels and wife depressive symptoms were videotaped during two marital problem-solving discussions, one of which was preceded by a sad mood induction for the wife. As predicted, results revealed a unique relationship between negative communication patterns and depressive symptoms only when wives had received a sad mood induction. Findings are discussed in light of interpersonal theories of depression.