Table 3.2.

Disease-Specific Family Behaviors and Communication Techniques Examined in Included Studies

Family Behavior Theme	Other Studied Behaviors Included in Theme*	Explanation of Family Behavior Theme**
Positive Effects Expected
Disease Respect	Spouse Respect	In disease-related matters: taking person with illness seriously trying to understand chronically ill person’s point of view respecting independence
Useful Illness Discussion	Concordance on Pain Rating	frequent useful discussions about illness
Attentive Disease Response		focusing on symptoms asking how to help sufferer
“We” Talk About Disease		Proportion of first-person plural (“we, us, our”) pronouns of total pronouns when discussing illness management
Negative Effects Expected
Disease Criticism	Spouse Criticism	in disease-related matters expressing disapproval, resentment, irritation, impatience
Disease Overprotection	Partner Overprotection Solicitous Disease Response	discounting person’s ability to handle disease and symptoms, taking over self-management tasks
Punishing Disease Response		anger in response to symptom
Distracting Disease Response	Spouse Distraction	distracting from symptoms by bringing up other topic or activity
Expressed Emotion		Combination of 3 concepts: hostility towards person with illness emotional over-involvement: family blames selves making critical comments
Disease Conflicts Unresolved	Spouse Conflict Resolution Family Emotion Management	conflicts about disease remain unresolved discussing disease-related issues avoided
Mixed Effects Expected
Social Control		using behavioral control (rewards, threats, sense of obligation) to “correct” people who are unsuccessful or unwilling to make healthy behavior changes

^*Names for family behaviors used by included studies

^**Adapted from psychometric instruments used to measure the family behavior theme.