The role of social support in coping and pain among patients with rheumatoid arthritis : a daily process study

Using a daily process methodology, the current study examined the role of social support processes in coping and pain severity among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) over time. Seventy-three adults with RA completed a structured daily record twice daily for one week. Patients completed twice daily questionnaires regarding their current pain levels, satisfaction with support, disappointment in support, and ways of coping. Findings from Hierarchical Linear Modeling suggested that support influenced pain severity indirectly, both through encouraging the use of specific coping strategies, as well as by impacting the efficacy with which these coping strategies were employed. Satisfaction with support was associated with adaptive and maladaptive ways of coping with pain, while disappointment in support was associated with maladaptive coping. Findings highlight the importance of the role of close others in promoting adaptive pain coping strategies among patients with RA.Arts, Faculty ofPsychology, Department ofGraduat