Spouse-assisted coping skills training in the management of osteoarthritic knee pain.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effects of a spouse-assisted pain-coping skills training intervention on pain, psychological disability, physical disability, pain-coping, and pain behavior in patients with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knees.


METHODS
Eighty-eight OA patients with persistent knee pain were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 conditions: 1) spouse-assisted pain-coping skills training, (spouse-assisted CST), 2) a conventional CST intervention with no spouse involvement (CST), or 3) an arthritis education-spousal support (AE-SS) control condition. All treatment was carried out in 10 weekly, 2-hour group sessions.


RESULTS
Data analysis revealed that at the completion of treatment, patients in the spouse-assisted CST condition had significantly lower levels of pain, psychological disability, and pain behavior, and higher scores on measures of coping attempts, marital adjustment, and self-efficacy than patients in the AE-SS control condition. Compared to patients in the AE-SS control condition, patients who received CST without spouse involvement had significantly higher post-treatment levels of self-efficacy and marital adjustment and showed a tendency toward lower levels of pain and psychological disability and higher scores on measures of coping attempts and ratings of the perceived effectiveness of pain-coping strategies.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that spouse-assisted CST has potential as a method for reducing pain and disability in OA patients.
Keefe
F J
FJ
Pain Management Program, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
Caldwell
D S
DS
Baucom
D
D
Salley
A
A
Robinson
E
E
Timmons
K
K
Beaupre
P
P
Weisberg
J
J
Helms
M
M
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000368:Aged; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000150:complications*; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology*