title: Observed and Perceived Disclosure and Empathy Are Associated With Better Relationship Adjustment and Quality of Life in Couples Coping With Vulvodynia.
abstract: Vulvodynia is a common idiopathic vulvovaginal pain condition that adversely affects the quality of life and intimate relationships of afflicted couples. Cross-sectional interpersonal factors, including how couples with vulvodynia communicate with each other, have been linked to women's pain and couples' relationship well-being. The current study investigated the observed and perceived associations between disclosure and empathic response, and couples' relationship adjustment, as well as women's pain during intercourse, and quality of life. Fifty women (M age = 24.50, SD = 4.03) diagnosed with vulvodynia and their partners (M age = 26.10, SD = 5.70) participated in a filmed discussion of the impact of this condition on their lives. Disclosure and empathic response were assessed by a trained observer and self-reported by participants immediately following the discussion. Analyses were based on the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model. Greater observed empathic response and perceived disclosure in women were associated with their higher quality of life. When women demonstrated greater empathic response, they and their partners reported higher relationship adjustment. In addition, when partners perceived greater empathic response, women reported higher relationship adjustment. There were no significant associations between disclosure or empathic response and women's pain during intercourse. Disclosure and empathic response may help women sustain the quality of their lives, and couples maintain the quality of their overall relationship while coping with the challenges that vulvodynia poses to their intimate connection. Increasing disclosure and empathic response might be a valuable target for enhancing the efficacy of couple-based interventions for vulvodynia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, 1355 Oxford Street, P.O. Box 15000, Halifax, NS, B3H 4R2, Canada. nrosen@dal.ca.|Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, IWK Health Centre, Halifax, NS, Canada. nrosen@dal.ca.
authors.forename: Natalie O
authors.initials: NO
authors.lastname: Rosen
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Katy
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bois
authors.affiliation: Health Center of the Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Marie-Hélène
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Mayrand
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, 1355 Oxford Street, P.O. Box 15000, Halifax, NS, B3H 4R2, Canada.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vannier
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bergeron
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D030881:Disclosure; D004645:Empathy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012747:Sexual Partners / Q000523:psychology*; D056650:Vulvodynia / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Empathy; Intimacy; Relationship adjustment; Vulvodynia