Treatment Outcomes Vary by Coping Styles in Rehabilitation Settings

Patients undergoing rehabilitation have been evidenced to improve in different ways depending on their coping styles. Amplifiers, Repressors, and Social Copers are examples of patients who present differently in rehabilitation settings and tend to have differing levels of success in their response to treatment. The current study examined the differential treatment outcomes of three coping style groups undergoing multidisciplinary rehabilitation at two clinic sites. A sample of 123 patients suffering from chronic pain was assessed repeatedly during the course of treatment using the Beck Depression Inventory and the Multidimensional Pain Inventory. Coping style groups derived from the Millon Behavioral Medicine Diagnostic consisting of Amplifiers, Repressors, and Social Copers were compared with regard to reductions in depression, anxiety, pain, functional impairment, and associated outcomes. Results revealed differing outcomes by the coping style groups on depression and affective distress. There were no differences between the coping style groups on changes in pain or functional impairment. These findings support prior research emphasizing the value of tailoring treatments in rehabilitation settings toward patients’ coping styles in order to maximize outcomes, particularly outcomes associated with emotional distress.