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Healthy and Maladaptive Dependency and Its Relationship to Pain Management and Perceptions in Physical Therapy Patients

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Abstract

This study examined the association among healthy and maladaptive aspects of interpersonal dependency and the management of pain in physical therapy outpatients. Ninety-eight patients were administered the Relationship Profile Test, West Haven-Yale Multidimensional Pain Inventory, and Pain Catastrophizing Scale. Results indicated that Destructive Overdependence was positively associated with an increased number of office visits, pain interference in one’s daily life, pain severity, affective distress, and receiving positive partner responses. Dysfunctional Detachment was associated with affective distress, pain interference in one’s daily life, and rumination about pain. Healthy Dependency was only associated with receiving distracting responses from others. Believing that a spouse/partner is supportive and caring about one’s pain partially mediated the relationship between overdependency and pain interfering in one’s life. These results support the clinical utility of assessing interpersonal dependency for its relationship to managing one’s pain and health care utilization.

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Notes

  1. Catastrophizing is the cognitive and affective intensification of the pain experience, which includes rumination about the pain the sense that one is helplessly subjected to its control on one’s psychological experience.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Eastern Michigan University, 361A Mark Jefferson Science Complex, Ypsilanti, MI, 48197, USA

    Steven K. Huprich, Ashley Boys & Alexandra Rosen

  2. Probility Physical Therapy, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Patrick Hoban

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  1. Steven K. Huprich
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  2. Patrick Hoban
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  3. Ashley Boys
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  4. Alexandra Rosen
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Correspondence to Steven K. Huprich.

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Huprich, S.K., Hoban, P., Boys, A. et al. Healthy and Maladaptive Dependency and Its Relationship to Pain Management and Perceptions in Physical Therapy Patients. J Clin Psychol Med Settings 20, 508–514 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10880-013-9372-1

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