Women’s Adaptation to Chronic Back Pain: Daily Appraisals and Coping Strategies, Personal Characteristics and Perceived Spousal Responses

Daily diary methodology was used to examine within- and between-person associations among pain appraisals, coping strategies, personal characteristics, perceived spousal responses and daily (30 days) changes in negative mood and pain for 88 women with chronic back pain. Multilevel models revealed that control appraisals and distraction and ignoring pain coping strategies were associated with same-day reductions in negative mood and pain; whereas catastrophizing appraisals and praying and hoping coping strategies were associated with an increase in negative mood or pain. With appraisals and coping controlled for, average within-day decreases in depression were associated with perceived control in one’s life; increases in anxiety were associated with spousal distracting responses; and increases in pain intensity were associated with spousal punishing responses and pain interference.