Examining pain severity in women with rheumatoid arthritis: the impact of pain self-efficacy and perceived partner’s emotional support

Abstract

Background Empirical data suggest that psychosocial factors, such as pain self-efficacy (PSE) and emotional support from a partner, may alleviate the suffering caused by rheumatoid arthritis (RA) pain. However, the data are ambiguous and warrant a more comprehensive investigation into the effect of these factors on the severity of RA pain. The objective of the present study was to assess the significance of PSE and emotional support from a partner in relation to pain severity among women with RA. Participants and procedure The study included a sample of 196 women diagnosed with RA with the mean age of 41.54. The study employed the fol-lowing measures: Rheumatoid Arthritis Pain Scale, Pain Self-efficacy Questionnaire, and Communication Based Emotional Support Scale. Results The analysis revealed that higher PSE emerged as the strongest predictor for lower pain severity across all components of RA pain. However, the impact of the partner’s emotional support on pain severity was not as evident and varied depending on the specific pain component. Furthermore, the use of pain medications significantly predicted three out of four pain com-ponents. Mediation analysis revealed that perceived emotional support from a partner directly affected women’s RA pain intensity, as well as indirectly through the PSE as a mediator. Moderated mediation analysis demonstrated that the associ-ation between PSE and pain severity weakened as the duration of RA increased. Conclusions Enhancing women’s PSE and providing appropriate training for their partners to offer effective emotional support may play a crucial role in the treatment of RA.

Keywords

• pain severity
• rheumatoid arthritis
• pain self-efficacy
• partner’s emotional support