Work-family conflicts and pain interference among midlife adults: a longitudinal serial mediation via family strain and loneliness.
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OBJECTIVE: Work-family conflict has been shown to adversely affect individuals' health and function, particularly among individuals with chronic pain. The current study's longitudinal serial mediation model examined whether work-to-family conflict predicted greater pain interference through higher levels of family strain and loneliness among midlife adults with chronic pain. METHODS AND MEASURES: The study consisted of 303 participants from two waves of the national longitudinal study of Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) at wave II from 2004 to 2006 (Mage=57, SD=11) and wave 3 from 2013 to 2014 (Mage=66, SD=11). Participants were employed at time 1 and had chronic pain at both time points, and 54.5% of participants identified as female. RESULTS: Family strain at time 1 (T1) and loneliness at time 2 (T2), respectively, significantly mediated the association of work-to-family conflict (T1) on pain interference at T2. Participants with greater work-to-family conflict perceived more family strain, felt lonelier, and, in turn, reported experiencing higher interference from chronic pain. CONCLUSION: Results suggest that unmanaged work-to-family conflict could be a risk factor that exacerbates chronic pain symptoms through worsening family relationships and loneliness among midlife adults with chronic pain.
