Northern Centre for Healthcare Research, University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, The Netherlands.
Psychol Health. 2009 Apr;24(4):439-55. doi: 10.1080/08870440801919513.
The aim of the present study was to investigate the associations between partners' ways of providing support (both active engagement and protective buffering) and distress in women with breast cancer as a function of patients' awareness of the support received and their sense of mastery. These associations were investigated both cross-sectionally and longitudinally (i.e. changes in distress over time). At 3 months (T1) after diagnosis, women with breast cancer and their partners (n = 82 couples) were assessed regarding partners' supportive behaviour. Women also indicated their sense of mastery. At both 3 and 9 months (T2) after diagnosis, women reported their level of distress. Cross-sectional as well as longitudinal analyses showed that active engagement was unrelated to distress, regardless of patients' awareness of the support received and their feelings of mastery. In contrast, perceived protective buffering was found to be associated with more concurrent distress (i.e. cross-sectionally). Moreover, protective buffering that was reported by partners but remained unnoticed by patients was associated with higher levels of concurrent distress, but only for patients who were low in mastery. Over time, protective buffering that remained unnoticed by patients was associated with more distress, regardless of women's sense of mastery.
本研究旨在探讨在考虑到患者对所接受支持的感知和掌控感的情况下，伴侣提供支持的方式（积极参与和保护性缓冲）与乳腺癌女性患者的困扰之间的关系。这些关联在横断面和纵向（即随时间推移的困扰变化）两个层面上进行了调查。在诊断后 3 个月（T1），对乳腺癌患者及其伴侣（n=82 对夫妇）进行了伴侣支持性行为的评估。女性还报告了她们的掌控感。在诊断后 3 个月和 9 个月（T2），女性报告了她们的困扰程度。横断面和纵向分析表明，无论患者对所接受支持的感知和掌控感如何，积极参与都与困扰无关。相比之下，感知到的保护性缓冲与更高的同时期困扰有关（即横断面）。此外，报告由伴侣提供但患者未注意到的保护性缓冲与更高水平的同时期困扰相关，但仅针对掌控感较低的患者。随着时间的推移，患者未注意到的保护性缓冲与更多的困扰有关，而与女性的掌控感无关。
