Coping together, staying together

In moments of challenge, the way couples respond together, rather than just as individuals, can be pivotal to their wellbeing, as well as the health and security of the relationship itself. This is what's known as "dyadic coping": working as a unit to manage stress, provide emotional support, and solve problems.

Dyadic coping can be particularly helpful when one partner becomes unwell, as illustrated in new research by Manasi M. Mittinty and colleagues, published recently in the Journal of Rheumatology. Their focus is on those with rheumatoid arthritis and their partners, who navigate challenging symptoms such as severe stiffness and joint pain, and often, associated mental health challenges. However, the team's findings highlight broader benefits of dyadic coping that could inform couples facing many kinds of stresses, whether that's generated by an illness itself and the pressures of caring, or otherwise.

Participants were Australian adults with rheumatoid arthritis and their romantic partners, who they had been with for over one year. Overall, 163 couples took part in the study. Both partners completed a series of measures assessing how they cope together, and quantifying two key dimensions of dyadic coping: 'supportive dyadic coping' and 'negative dyadic coping'. Supportive dyadic coping includes behaviours such as helping change perspectives on pain, while negative dyadic coping involves actions like withdrawing during stressful times.

The team also looked at the quality of the relationship, with both partners assessing their own perception of the partnership, as well as the partner with arthritis' ratings of their own physical symptoms and mental health.

Analyses showed that the type of dyadic coping couples engaged in had an influence on various aspects of relationship quality and mental health of both partners. Negative dyadic coping, where partners were not particularly supportive, was linked to lower quality of life and psychological distress, with those in this group nearly twice as likely to report symptoms of anxiety and depression. Unsurprisingly, negative dyadic coping was also correlated with lower relationship quality.

On the other hand, supportive dyadic coping was linked to positive outcomes in multiple areas. Those who felt supported by their partners in this way had lower levels of depression, anxiety, and stress, and also reported a higher quality of relationship. This was the case not only for those suffering from arthritis, however, but also their partners. Despite challenges being more personal for one partner, this finding suggests that coping together has a strong reciprocal benefit.

Interestingly though, while supportive dyadic coping was associated with better relationship outcomes for spouses, analyses revealed that it had no real positive effect on their mental health. Spouse-reported negative coping, on the other hand, strongly correlated with higher levels of depression, anxiety, and stress in themselves, suggesting that negative coping behaviours have a particularly detrimental effect.

This asymmetry may offer a practical strategy: it could be that couples may benefit from focusing first on reducing negative coping behaviours before thinking about how to build up supportive coping mechanisms. While this study offers a succinct overview of the benefits of coping together, the team stresses the importance of engaging in counselling or relationship guidance programmes which help couples develop these supportive strategies.

Read the paper in full:
Mittinty, M. M., Mittinty, M. N., Buchbinder, R., Lassere, M., Chand, V., Whittle, S., March, L., & Hill, C. (2024). Interpersonal process of dyadic coping in rheumatoid arthritis: a perspective from the Australian Rheumatology Association Database (ARAD). The Journal of Rheumatology, 51(9), 862–869. https://doi.org/10.3899/jrheum.2023-0664

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