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Quality of Life Research

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Open Access 01-12-2015

Meaning-focused coping, pain, and affect: a diary study of hospitalized women with rheumatoid arthritis

Authors: Ewa Gruszczyńska, Nina Knoll

Published in: Quality of Life Research | Issue 12/2015

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between affective state, pain, and coping in hospitalized women with rheumatoid arthritis, including both between- and within-person perspectives.

Methods

Participants were 95 female patients between 24 and 82 years of age (M = 50.91; SD = 13.80). For three consecutive days, they rated each night their state affect (positive and negative), pain level, and coping strategies (emotion-, problem- and meaning-focused ones). Relations among variables were tested with a multilevel approach with time included as a covariate.

Results

Within-person meaning-focused coping suppressed the negative pain effect on emotional state, but only for positive affect (Sobel’s z = 2.07, p = .04). Moderators of the pain–affect relationship were between-person differences in pain level (B = −.23, SE = .08, t = −2.884, p = .004) and in meaning-focused coping (B = −.63, SE = .20, t = −2.097, p = .04). Specifically, suppression was significant only for patients who reported lower than sample average pain levels and for patients who reported lower than sample average use of meaning-focused strategies.

Conclusions

Findings indicated that meaning-focused coping can be a crucial strategy for keeping daily positive affect in the face of chronic pain and how this effect is modified by interindividual differences. Even if restricted to the specific context, it may inform an intervention for hospitalized women with rheumatoid arthritis.

Additionally, because of the wide age range it was checked whether age was significantly related to any of the variables in the study. No significant correlations emerged. The same was true for years since diagnosis, with the only exception of negative affect at the second measurement (Spearman’s ρ = .232, p = .02). Also, age and time since diagnosis were weakly positively correlated (Spearman’s ρ = .230, p = .02).

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Title: Meaning-focused coping, pain, and affect: a diary study of hospitalized women with rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Ewa Gruszczyńska
Nina Knoll
Publication date: 01-12-2015
Publisher: Springer International Publishing
Published in: Quality of Life Research / Issue 12/2015
Print ISSN: 0962-9343
Electronic ISSN: 1573-2649
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-015-1031-6

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Meaning-focused coping, pain, and affect: a diary study of hospitalized women with rheumatoid arthritis

Abstract

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusions

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