Effects of Receiving Pain-Related Support on Psychological Well-Being: The Moderating Roles of Emotional Responses to Support

Abstract

Objectives We investigated whether receiving greater pain-related instrumental support is associated with poorer psychological well-being among chronic pain patients who report less positive (e.g., grateful) or more negative (e.g., angry) emotional responses to support. Methods We conducted regression analyses, utilizing data from two waves of interviews with 152 knee osteoarthritis patients. Three indicators of psychological well-being were examined: depressive symptoms, positive affect, and negative affect. Results Receiving greater support was associated with poorer psychological well-being at baseline, as well as higher depressive symptoms and negative affect at the 18-month follow-up, only among patients with low positive emotional responses to support. Furthermore, receiving greater support was related to poorer psychological well-being at baseline only among patients with high negative emotional responses to support. Discussion Care recipients’ less positive emotional responses to support may be a risk factor for poorer psychological well-being in both the short- and long-term, when receiving greater support.