1. Objectifs

Intentions :
«The present study aimed to test the relationship between partner pain catastrophizing and pain attributions as cognitive associations of partner behavioral responses to pain. We also aimed to assess whether these behavioral responses mediated the relations among partner cognitions, pain, and depressive symptoms.» (p. 550)

Questions/Hypothèses :
«It was hypothesized that, controlling for relationship satisfaction, 1) partner catastrophizing would be related to more solicitous and negative partner responses, 2) partner negative attributions would be related to more partner negative responses, and 3) type of responding would mediate the relationship between partner pain-related cognitive variables and patient outcomes, with partner negative responses being associated with increased patient pain and depressive symptoms and solicitous responses being associated with pain only.» (p. 550)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
«Participants were 354 women with PVD [provoked vestibulodynia] and their male partners.» (p. 550) Les participants ont été recrutés dans la région de Montréal.

Instruments :
Questionnaire

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse statistique

3. Résumé

In this article «it was found that, controlling for relationship satisfaction, results from our path model suggested that the associations between partner catastrophizing and pain attributions and patient pain and depressive symptoms were in part mediated by partner responses to pain. In sum, partner cognitions about pain may impact the patient through the partners’ behavioral reactions to pain. […] Specifically, partner catastrophizing was associated with partner solicitousness, which may be understood using a cognitive-behavioral model, which posits that how one interprets a stimulus will influence how one behaves toward it. In the present case, an increased response to pain may be due to fears about its negative consequences for both the patient and the partner himself or herself. […] In the present study, a more negative attributional style regarding the patient’s pain was associated with more negative responding. […] Because partners might feel helpless about the patient’s pain, or blame their partner for the pain, they may respond in a negative manner out of frustration or anger.» (p. 553-554)