The effects of dyadic coping and marital satisfaction on posttraumatic growth among breast cancer couples.

OBJECTIVES

To examine the dyadic relationships of dyadic coping, marital satisfaction, and posttraumatic growth and to confirm the mediating effect of marital satisfaction between dyadic coping and posttraumatic growth among breast cancer patients and their spouses.

METHODS

A total of 206 pairs of female breast cancer patients and their spouses from one tertiary hospital in Guangzhou, China, from August 2018 to July 2019 were invited to complete the demographics and disease-related information questionnaire, the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, the Marital Adjustment Scale, and the Dyadic Coping Inventory.

RESULTS

Patients' and spouses' positive/negative dyadic coping exerted actor effects and partner effects on marital satisfaction, while their marital satisfaction and positive dyadic coping only exerted actor effects on posttraumatic growth. In addition, the mediating effects of marital satisfaction on the impact of dyadic coping on posttraumatic growth were confirmed in both patients and spouses.

CONCLUSION

Our findings provide a new perspective on the relationships between dyadic coping, marital satisfaction, and posttraumatic growth at the individual and dyadic levels. Promoting positive dyadic coping and decreasing negative dyadic coping among breast cancer patients and spouses can improve their marital satisfaction and posttraumatic growth.