The impact of chronic pain on patients and spouses: Consequences on occupational status, distribution of household chores and care-giving burden.

Research has shown that chronic pain poses a significant burden on individuals, which increases their reliance on others for assistance. However, the burden of informal care-giving assumed by spouses of patients with chronic pain has not been systematically investigated. This study offers new insights into the impact of chronic pain on patients and their spouses, which might provide empirical foundation for the development of new avenues for intervention aimed at promoting adjustment in patients with chronic pain and spouses who act as informal caregivers.