Effects of coping styles on the psychosocial adjustment of patients undergoing bone marrow transplant and their spouses

Joshua R Dyer, Purdue University

Abstract

Bone marrow transplantation is an aggressive, dangerous procedure increasingly being used to treat several forms of cancer and blood disorders. It is clearly distressing for both patients and their caregivers and requires the employment of coping behaviors. In the broader cancer literature, coping styles such as avoidance coping, active coping, and cognitive coping/positive focusing have been linked with various psychosocial outcomes in patients and their caregivers. However, researchers typically investigate patients and caregivers separately, ignoring the social nature of coping. This study examined the effects of the coping styles of 153 patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation and their caregivers on positive and negative affect. Data were gathered at the time just prior to transplant and at one month post-transplant. Analyses were conducted using the Actor Partner Interdependence Model, which accounts for interdependence between coping styles within dyads. Findings indicated that avoidance coping, active coping, and cognitive coping/positive focusing were interdependent between patients and caregivers. Actor effects were found showing that avoidance coping was typically associated with negative affect and cognitive coping/positive focusing was typically associated with positive affect. Findings were mixed for active coping. Partner effects were found suggesting that patient avoidance coping is associated with caregiver affect and caregiver avoidance coping is associated with patient affect. Findings also suggest that coping efforts differ for patients and caregivers at the time just prior to transplant. Exploratory correlational analyses were conducted examining the relationships between caregiver burden, patient symptomatology, demographic variables, social support, and quality of relationship. Significant gender differences were found with female caregivers engaging in more coping efforts and reporting more negative affect than male caregivers. Research and treatment implications are discussed.

Degree

Ph.D.

Advisors

Bigatti, Purdue University.

Subject Area

Clinical psychology|Oncology

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