Calibrating Independence Goals and Partner Support: Couples Adjust to Functional Limitations after Tumor Surgery. Issue 2 (27th March 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Knoll, Nina; Wiedemann, Amelie U.; Schrader, Mark; Felber, Juliane; Burkert, Silke; Daig, Isolde; Heckhausen, Jutta
• Is Part Of: Applied psychology. Volume 7:Issue 2(2015:Jul.)
• Page Start: 167
• Page End: 187
• Publication Date: 2015-03-27
• Subjects: Psychology, Applied -- Periodicals; Well-being -- Periodicals; Clinical health psychology -- Periodicals; Health -- Psychological aspects -- Periodicals; Psychology, Applied -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; Psychologie appliquée -- Périodiques; Bien-être -- Périodiques; 616.0019
• DOI: 10.1111/aphw.12043
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1758-0846

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="aphw12043-abs-0001"> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <sec id="aphw12043-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Background</title> <p>When patients recover from disease‐related functional limitations, support received from partners may not always match patients' changing independence goals. The lines of defense (LoD) model proposes a hierarchy of independence goals (LoDs), ranging from minimising discomfort by disengagement (lowest LoD) to protection of self‐reliance (highest LoD). Prostate cancer patients' LoDs were examined as moderators of the association between partner support and patients' and partners' affect during patients' recovery from postsurgical functional limitations.</p> </sec> <sec id="aphw12043-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Methods</title> <p>Data from 169 couples were assessed four times within 7 months following patients' surgery. Patients reported on post‐surgery functional limitations (i.e. incontinence), LoDs, affect, and received partner support. Partners reported on affect and support provided to patients.</p> </sec> <sec id="aphw12043-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p>In patients endorsing lower LoDs, more received support was associated with less negative affect. Also, not endorsing high LoDs while receiving strong partner support was related to patients' lower negative and higher positive affect. Partners' support provision to patients tended to be associated with increases in partners' negative affect when patients had endorsed higher LoDs and with increases in positive affect when patients had endorsed lower LoDs.</p> </sec> <sec id="aphw12043-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusions</title> <p>Matching patients' independence goals or LoDs with partners' support may be beneficial for patients' and partners' affect.</p> </sec> </abstract>