%0 Journal Article
%T Communal Coping and Adjustment to Chronic Illness: Theory Update and Evidence
%A Brittany Jakubiak
%A Melissa Zajdel
%A Meredith Van Vleet
%A Vicki S. Helgeson
%J Personality and Social Psychology Review
%@ 1532-7957
%D 2018
%R 10.1177/1088868317735767
%X We present a theory of communal coping that describes an optimal pathway to patient adjustment among couples in which one person faces a chronic illness. Communal coping consists of a shared illness appraisal (i.e., person perceives illness as a joint rather than individual problem) and collaboration with a partner to manage the illness. We present a model of the communal coping process that links patient and partner shared illness appraisals to collaboration and a set of supportive interactions that might be reframed as collaboration in the presence of shared illness appraisals. We then outline a model that identifies potential antecedents of communal coping and mechanisms that link communal coping to patient illness adjustment (i.e., enhanced psychological well-being, improved health behaviors, better physical health) and partner psychological well-being. We review the empirical evidence for this model and conclude by identifying several moderator variables, noting potential limitations, and outlining future research directions
%K close relationships
%K health
%K well-being
%U https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1088868317735767