Dyadic coping and relationship satisfaction among couples with a chronic illness: A meta-analytical actor–partner interdependence model

Abstract

Chronic illness (CI) burdens both the patient and their romantic partner. CI management has been viewed as a dyadic process by theorists and clinical practitioners. Dyadic coping (DC) refers to the processes where one partner aids the other or both partners work together to cope with stress. We used the meta-analytical actor–partner interdependence model and its extension of actor–partner interdependence moderation model to evaluate the aggregated actor and partner effects of DC on relationship satisfaction (RS) in CI partners (CIP) and healthy partners (HP). This meta-analysis included 61 samples from 57 reports. The combined zero-order correlation (r) between total DC and RS was 0.37 (95 % CI: 0.33–0.40, p < .001). The total DC for both partners with and without CI showed significant actor effects on their own RS (CIP → CIP: b = 0.33, SE = 0.03, p < .001; HP → HP: b = 0.32, SE = 0.03, p < .001) and significant partner effects on the other's RS (HP → CIP: b = 0.18, SE = 0.03, p < .001; CIP → HP: b = 0.20, SE = 0.03, p < .001). Similar patterns were observed for positive DC and negative DC. These effects were observed regardless of study quality, years since diagnosis, age, sex, and relationship length. Moreover, type of publication, publication year, country, DC measures, CI types, and both partners' education attainment moderated observed associations. Couple-based interventions for CI should incorporate psychoeducation on the importance of DC (e.g., viewing illness as a “we-disease,” communicating about stress, and providing mutual support) and skill-building components to enhance RS, recognizing the interdependent nature of both partners' coping processes.