To ensure we offer contemporary continuing education opportunities, the CE credit associated with this video is no longer available, however, the video remains available for viewing.
Behavioral interventions for pain typically target individuals and when loved ones are involved, their roles are often conceptualized as information providers or reinforcers of pain behaviors. At the same time, a growing literature on supportive behaviors such as partner responsiveness, emotional validation, and empathy has suggested that interventions may be more effective if these types of behaviors are incorporated into treatment. Dr. Cano will provide an overview of correlational and experimental research on empathic behaviors in pain and describe a new intervention for couples that is based on this research. Evidence of intervention feasibility and acceptability will also be presented to describe the challenges of intervention development. Finally, Dr. Cano will share a set of lessons learned to inform work aimed at bridging the gap between basic behavioral and clinical intervention research.