The principal investigator (PI) is requesting five years of funding through the Scientist Development Award for New Minority Faculty (K01). The career development goals described in this application include testing an integrative model of depression and chronic pain developed by the applicant and training in theoretical and conceptual issues, advanced longitudinal statistical methods, objective interview assessment of life events, observational research methods with couples, and the responsible conduct of research with ethnic minorities. These activities are expected to build on the Pl's strong research and clinical background in marriage and enhance her ability to produce sophisticated scholarly work. Major depression and chronic pain are costly public health problems in the United States that are highly comorbid with each other. Although research suggests that marital variables may contribute to depression, researchers have yet to integrate existing theory and empirical findings into a comprehensive model that accounts for the interrelationships between marital functioning, chronic pain, and depression. Building on the career development activities described in the application, the PI will test an integrative model of the comorbidity of chronic pain and depression in which marital functioning plays a key role. The long-term objective of the study is to develop marital treatments for individuals experiencing both depression and chronic pain.
The specific aims of the study include examining how changes in general marital functioning (e.g., marital satisfaction, affect expressed in a marital interaction, marital stressors), pain-specific marital functioning (e.g., spouse responses to pain, affect expressed in a marital interaction related to the impact of pain on the couple), and pain factors (e.g., pain severity, disability) relate to changes in depression over time. Participants will be 160 married couples in the community in which one spouse has a chronic musculoskeletal pain problem. Participant couples will complete surveys, a diagnostic interview for major depression, a life events interview, and two videotaped marital interactions. Participants will also take part in 6- and 12-month follow-ups in which they will complete the same instruments. Participants will be paid upon completion of each phase of the study. ? ?
Showing the most recent 10 out of 19 publications
