Couples who can cope together stay together

The study was published on: Journal of Rheumatology Using a sample of 163 couples, he examined dyadic coping—in which a couple engages in joint problem solving, joint information gathering or sharing emotions, and mutual engagement—from the perspective of both partners.

Lead author Dr. D. of the College of Medicine and Public Health. “Dual coping, which is the coping process that occurs between couples who are challenged by the illness of one of the partners, is an important indicator of adaptation to the illness and the well-being of the patient,” says Manasi Murthy Mittinty.

“Dual coping contributes to a sense of togetherness by encouraging couples to develop strategies to respond to stressful events as a unit and represents a protective factor to minimize the risk of divorce.

“Working together as a couple is crucial to overcoming the challenges they face when one partner has a disease, especially rheumatoid arthritis.”

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune condition that can cause irreversible tissue damage, progressive deformity, and pain. Approximately 18 million people worldwide live with RA, including approximately 456,000 Australians.

Although the treatment of RA has improved dramatically thanks to biologic drugs, some patients still face severe physical pain and stiffness, and approximately 35% of people report experiencing mental and behavioral conditions such as bipolar disorder, mania, and anxiety disorder.

“We found that supportive dyadic coping leads to reduced depression, anxiety and stress in patients, as well as improved relationship quality. In contrast, negative dyadic coping increases psychological distress and reduces relationship quality for both partners,” says Dr Mittinty.

“By examining the interpersonal dynamics of couples struggling with chronic disease, we hope to significantly improve the quality of life of patients living with rheumatoid arthritis and their partners.”

The study is the first in Australia to report on dyadic coping from the perspectives of both participants with RA and their partners.

RA patients and their partners were invited to participate in the online survey study if they were over 18 years of age and had lived together for more than one year. The survey included the Chronic Pain Rating Scale, Dyadic Coping Inventory, Depression Anxiety Stress Scale, and Dyadic Adjustment Scale.

“The results highlight the interdependent nature of dyadic coping and highlight the need to consider both perspectives to understand its impact on couples.

“For decades, the focus has been limited to reducing patients’ disease-related distress and improving patient outcomes. Recently, scientists have taken a new approach to understanding how illness in one partner can affect the couple’s relationship and the well-being of the other partner.

“Our findings demonstrate the reciprocal nature of dyadic coping that occurs between patients with RA and their partners and suggest that integrating dyadic coping training into disease management may be a valuable resource for improved mental health outcomes and couples’ relationship quality,” he adds.