Spouses Coping Research Articles

Associations of perceived and common dyadic coping with self-care in older couples with cardiovascular disease: A dyadic analysis

BackgroundDyadic engagement of patients and caregivers in self-care is essential for management of heart disease. However, little is known how dyadic coping at individual and partner levels is associated with self-care in couples living with cardiovascular disease. ObjectiveThis study examined whether dyadic coping at self, partner, and common levels was associated with patients’ engagement in self-care and spouses’ contribution to self-care in older couples living with cardiovascular disease. MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, 288 older patients and spouses were recruited from outpatient heart clinics in Qazvin, north of Iran. Data were collected using the Dyadic Coping Inventory, the Self-care of Coronary Heart Disease Inventory, and the Caregiver's Contribution to Self-care of Coronary Heart Disease. Dyadic data were analyzed using the actor-partner interdependence model. ResultsThe results showed that patients’ engagement in self-care maintenance was associated with partner dyadic coping in patients, self and common dyadic coping in spouses. Patients’ engagement in self-care monitoring was only associated with self dyadic coping in spouses. Dyadic analysis also showed that self-care confidence in patients was only associated with by partner dyadic coping in spouses. ConclusionsThis study revealed that self-care was associated with dyadic coping employed by each member of the dyad at self, partner and common levels. Findings of this study suggest that perceived and provided levels of dyadic coping can be employed for maintaining or restoring self-management in older couples living with cardiovascular disease.

Coping Experiences of Spouses of Males with Gambling Disorders

Purpose: This study aimed to understand the coping experiences of spouses of males with gambling disorders.Methods: This study used narrative inquiry. Four spouses were recruited from Gam-Anon family groups. In-depth, semi-structured interviews with each participant were conducted from November to December 2020.Results: The coping experiences of spouses ranged from daily stress to traumatic stress. The coping strategy was modified and developed by the perception of their husbands' gambling. Changes in participants' coping strategies were related to emotions that arose from the context of social interaction and internal emotions. The coping experiences of spouses were the process of learning a new way of recognizing the true meaning of life and finding happiness.Conclusion: This study proposed an efficient coping strategy for families of people with gambling disorder by understanding the spouse's coping experiences. Reducing social stigma and creating a supportive environment for families of people with gambling disorders is essential, and perceived social support can be related to the spouse's adoption of effective coping strategies.

Spouse's Coping In Caring For The Elderly With Dementia

Dementia is a condition that is still considered normal in the elderly by the general public. Dementia clients often experience hopeless situations that include feelings of helplessness, frustration with their surroundings, economic dependence on family members, and inability to socialize with other people. Most dementia clients are cared for at home by family members due to financial limitations and supportive health services. This research is qualitative research with a descriptive phenomenology approach. This research was conducted in the period November 2018 - May 2019 in the Bekasi City area and the number of participants obtained by the researchers was 10 people. The theme obtained by the researchers was how the coping mechanism carried out by the carer while caring for the elderly with dementia which was described in 3 themes, including care efforts made to heal a partner, activities taken to avoid boredom, and resources owned by caregivers. In addition, there is a need for socialization for the community about dementia and an increase in understanding for health workers who work within the scope of the health office as well as the development of dementia conditions that occur.

The concept of coping in male spouses of Iranian women with breast cancer: A qualitative study using a phenomenological approach.

Breast cancer is a multidimensional crisis that affects not just the patient, but the spouse and other family members. Coping with this phenomenon, as one of the important challenges for the families and spouses, requires investigation. Understanding more about how spouses of women with breast cancer cope with this crisis could lead to better performance of spouses in front of their wives and raise their wives' quality of life. The study was conducted to explore the concept of coping based on the lived experiences of spouses of women with breast cancer. This qualitative study was conducted with a phenomenological approach in Hamedan and Rasht cities in Iran in 2019. Participants included 20 spouses of women with breast cancer selected by a purposive sampling method. Data were collected through unstructured face-to-face interviews and analyzed using van Manen's six-stage phenomenological method. The lived experiences of participants showed that the phenomenon of coping in spouses of women with breast cancer included five themes: Emotional pain, Shouldering the burden of care, Striving for family life cohesion, Future in ambiguity, and Sense of loss of self concept. Understanding the concept of coping in the spouses of women with breast cancer in health strategies can help wives achieve effective adaptation and also help professionals take effective measures in the field of medical care for patients and their spouses.

Psychological Distress, Coping and Perceived Social Support Among Partners of Women with Postpartum Onset Severe Mental Illness (SMI) Admitted to a Mother-Baby Unit.

Background:The presence of a severe mental illness in the mother during the postpartum period may impact the whole family and specifically have an effect on the health of the spouse. The current study aimed to assess psychological distress, coping, and perceived social support of spouses of women with postpartum onset severe mental illness.Methodology:A cross-sectional descriptive research design was used, and 30 spouses of the women admitted to the mother–baby unit (MBU) for psychiatric inpatient care were included in the study. The assessments included sociodemographic details, Kessler psychological distress scale (K10), brief coping orientation to problems experienced scale (brief COPE), and Zimets’ multidimensional scale of perceived social support.Results:Around 50% of the spouses experienced severe psychological distress. Nearly 40% of spouses reported poor coping and 56.7% of spouses had moderate social support from family and friends.Conclusion:The findings indicate the need to address distress and coping in spouses of women with postpartum onset SMI.

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Results of a Randomized Pilot Trial of SHARE: A Self-Management Intervention for Head and Neck Cancer Patients Undergoing Radiotherapy and their Spousal Caregivers

Abstract Head and neck cancer (HNC) patients experience significant physical and psychological morbidity during radiotherapy (XRT) which contributes to treatment interruptions and poor quality of life. Although spouses/partners can help by encouraging patient self-management (e.g., self-care) during XRT, they often experience high psychological distress rates, lack basic healthcare knowledge/skills, and report increased marital conflict regarding patient self-management. This pilot study examined the feasibility and acceptability of a six-session telephone-based intervention called SHARE (Spouses coping with the Head And neck Radiation Experience), which teaches self-management, communication, and coping skills to HNC patients and their spouses. Treatment effects of SHARE relative to usual medical care (UMC) in controlling patient physical symptoms and improving patient/spouse psychological and marital functioning were also examined. METHODS: Thirty patients initiating XRT and their spouses (N = 60 participants; 40% racial/ethnic minorities) were randomized to SHARE or UMC, and pre- and post-intervention assessments were completed. RESULTS: Solid recruitment (70%) and low attrition rates (7%) demonstrated feasibility. Strong program evaluations and homework completion rates (72%) supported acceptability. Significant treatment effects (medium in magnitude) were observed for SHARE relative to UMC with regard to HNC-specific physical symptom burden (Cohen's d = −0.89) and symptom interference (d = −0.86). Medium-to-large effects favoring SHARE were also found for patient and spouse depressive symptoms (d = −0.84) and cancer-specific distress (d = −1.05). CONCLUSION: Findings support the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of SHARE. They also suggest that programs that empower HNC couples with the necessary skills to coordinate care and manage the challenges of XRT together hold great promise for controlling patient physical symptoms and improving both partners' psychological functioning.

Self-management intervention for head and neck cancer couples: Results of a randomized pilot trial.

Patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) experience significant physical and psychological morbidity during radiotherapy (RT) that contributes to treatment interruptions and a poor quality of life. Although spouses/partners can help by encouraging patient self-management (eg, self-care) during RT, they often experience high psychological distress rates, lack basic health care knowledge and skills, and report increased marital conflict regarding patient self-management. The current pilot study examined the feasibility and acceptability of a 6-session telephone-based intervention called Spouses coping with the Head And neck Radiation Experience (SHARE), which teaches self-management, communication, and coping skills to patients with HNC and their spouses. The treatment effects of SHARE compared with usual medical care (UMC) in controlling patient physical symptoms and improving patient/spouse psychological and marital functioning also were examined. Thirty patients who initiated RT and their spouses (60 participants; 40% of whom were racial/ethnic minorities) were randomized to SHARE or UMC, and preintervention and postintervention assessments were completed. Solid recruitment (70%) and low attrition rates (7%) demonstrated feasibility. Strong program evaluations and homework completion rates (72%) supported acceptability. Significant treatment effects (medium in magnitude) were observed for SHARE compared with UMC with regard to HNC-specific physical symptom burden (Cohen's d, -0.89) and symptom interference (Cohen's d, -0.86). Medium to large effects favoring SHARE also were found for patient and spouse depressive symptoms (Cohen's d, -0.84) and cancer-specific distress (Cohen's d, -1.05). The findings of the current study support the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of SHARE. They also suggest that programs that empower HNC couples with the necessary skills to coordinate care and manage the challenges of RT together hold great promise for controlling a patient's physical symptoms and improving the psychological functioning of both partners.

Dyadic Coping in Patients Undergoing Radiotherapy for Head and Neck Cancer and Their Spouses.

Background: Head and neck cancer (HNC) adversely affects the psychological (i.e., depression, anxiety) and marital adjustment of patients and their spouses. Dyadic coping refers to how couples cope with stress. It includes positive actions like sharing practical or emotional concerns (i.e., problem- and emotion-focused stress communication; PFSC, EFSC), and engaging in problem- or emotion-focused actions to support each other (problem- and emotion-focused dyadic coping; PFDC, EFDC). It also includes negative actions like avoidance (negative dyadic coping; NEGDC). In this secondary analysis of a randomized pilot trial of a couple-based intervention called SHARE (Spouses coping with the Head And neck Radiation Experience), we first examined associations between patients’ and spouses’ dyadic coping (and satisfaction with dyadic coping; SATDC) and their own/each other’s psychological and marital adjustment. Next, we examined the effects of SHARE relative to usual medical care (UMC) on patients’ and spouses’ dyadic coping. Finally, we examined whether changes in dyadic coping were associated with changes in patients’ and spouses’ psychological and marital adjustment.Methods and Measures: Thirty HNC patients (80% men) and their spouses (N = 60) completed baseline surveys prior to initiating radiotherapy (RT) and were randomized to SHARE or UMC. One month after RT, they completed follow-up surveys.Results: Baseline multilevel Actor-Partner Interdependence Models revealed significant actor effects of PFSC (effect size r = −0.32) and PFDC (r = −0.29) on depression. For marital adjustment, significant actor effects were found for PFSC, PFDC, EFDC, and SATDC (p < 0.05, r = 0.23 to 0.38). Actor (r = −0.35) and partner effects (r = −0.27) for NEGDC were also significant. Moderate to large effect sizes were found in favor of SHARE on PFSC (Cohen’s d = 1.14), PFDC (d = 0.64), NEGDC (d = −0.68), and SATDC (d = 1.03). Improvements in PFDC were associated with reductions in depression and anxiety (p < 0.05); and, improvements in SATDC were associated with improvements in anxiety and marital adjustment (p < 0.05).Conclusion: The SHARE intervention improved positive and decreased negative dyadic coping for patients and spouses. Increases in positive dyadic coping were also associated with improvements in psychological and marital adjustment. Although findings are preliminary, more research on ways to integrate dyadic coping into oncology supportive care interventions appears warranted.

The influence of expatriate spouses’ coping strategies on expatriate and spouse adjustment

PurposeDrawing upon Folkman and Lazarus’ (1984) coping framework and interdependence theory (Thibaut and Kelley, 1959), the purpose of this paper is to investigate how expatriate spouses’ coping strategies (problem-focused and emotion-focused) affect expatriate spouse adjustment and expatriate adjustment. In addition, the authors also examine the mediating effect of expatriate adjustment on the spouse coping strategies-spouse adjustment relationship.Design/methodology/approachTo test these relationships, the authors collected multi-source data from 191 expatriate spouses and their expatriate partners living in 37 countries.FindingsThe results revealed that problem- and emotion-focused coping strategies positively and negatively, respectively, influenced all types of spouse adjustment: personal, interaction, and cultural. Both forms of spouse coping also influenced expatriate adjustment. The authors also found that expatriate adjustment mediated the relationship between expatriate spouses’ coping strategies and spouse adjustment.Practical implicationsThe results suggest that multinational organizations should pay equal attention to the adjustment of both their expatriates and their spouses. Both expatriates and their spouses should be included in the initial selection process and in pre-departure training to get well equipped before the international assignment. Training spouses to adopt problem-focused coping strategies would help to facilitate the effective adjustment of both spouses and expatriates.Originality/valueThe research provides one of the first examinations that investigate expatriate spouses’ coping strategies and their impact on expatriate and expatriate spouse adjustment. This research also highlights the interdependency of expatriates and their spouses.

The Effect of Group Reality Therapy on the Coping of Spouses of Veterans with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

The Effect of Group Reality Therapy on the Coping of Spouses of Veterans with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

The stress experience of the wives of service personnel

There is a paucity of research exploring the mental health of military spouses and partners. This article seeks to answer the question: what is the stress experience of the wives of British Army personnel serving in Germany? Methods included a critical literature review and reflections from the author's own practice as a community psychiatric nurse working with this community. It was found that military spouses are presented with a number of situations and stressors associated with, and unique to, their husbands' job. Increased stress among military families on a day-to-day basis is a potential trigger for the development of mental health problems. While the association between stress and mental disorders is well-documented, it is not well studied in British military families. Key issues identified include: communication, visible and invisible wounds, fatalities and homecoming. It can be concluded that current, limited research tends to focus on the stress and coping of spouses and partners during operations but not on the day-to-day stresses faced. Further research is needed into the impact of isolation, deployment, mobility and military culture on partners, and indeed, wider families.

Relationship beliefs and illness appraisals are differentially associated with specific ways of coping in spouses of patients with type 2 diabetes

Using data from 117 spouses of patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and multiple-group path analysis, the current study explored the association of four relationship beliefs (satisfaction, sacrifice, confidence and instability) and four diabetes appraisals (consequences, distress, control and efficacy) with illness-specific coping behaviour: active engagement, protective buffering and overprotection. The potential moderating effect of gender was also tested. Results indicated gender did moderate the associations among the variables in the model, with the association of relationship satisfaction and active engagement being significantly stronger for men, while diabetes control was more strongly related to protective buffering for women. The only variables associated with active engagement were three relationship-specific cognitions: higher levels of relationship satisfaction (for men only), satisfaction with sacrifice and relationship confidence were all related to higher active engagement. The diabetes appraisals were the only variables associated with protective buffering and overprotection. Higher diabetes distress and diabetes control (for women only) and lower diabetes efficacy were predictive of greater protective buffering. Lower diabetes efficacy and higher diabetes control were associated with greater overprotection. Implications for theory, research and practice are discussed.

Active Coping of Spouses of Domestic Violence Perpetrator who Completed Batterer Intervention Program and Recidivism: Study of Follow-up Evaluation for Domestic Violence Batterer Intervention Program

Active Coping of Spouses of Domestic Violence Perpetrator who Completed Batterer Intervention Program and Recidivism: Study of Follow-up Evaluation for Domestic Violence Batterer Intervention Program

Trajectories of care: Spouses coping with changes related to mild cognitive impairment

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) refers to non-normative changes in memory and cognition. While researchers are beginning to address the social consequences of MCI, no investigations have tracked how married couples respond to MCI over time as symptoms stabilize or become more severe. Guided by life course and symbolic interactionist tenets, we examined how 40 older couples in the United States adjusted to daily life after one partner was diagnosed with MCI and how their marital roles and relationship changed over a three- to four-year period. Data were collected from 2004 through 2010. All couples experienced an initial period of transition in coping with MCI where they made adjustments in their daily lives and interactions. Following this adjustment period, four trajectories of care emerged depending on the extent of the older adult's decline and the spouse's response. We conclude that changes associated with MCI affect role identity and have consequences for spousal relationships.

Review of outcome research on marital and family therapy in treatment for alcoholism.

This review of controlled studies of marital and family therapy (MFT) in alcoholism treatment updates the earlier review by O'Farrell and Fals-Stewart (2003). We conclude that, when the alcoholic is unwilling to seek help, MFT is effective in helping the family cope better and motivating alcoholics to enter treatment. Specifically, both Al-Anon facilitation and referral and spouse coping skills training (based on new findings) help family members cope better, and CRAFT promotes treatment entry and was successfully transported to a community clinic in a new study. Once the alcoholic enters treatment, MFT, particularly behavioral couples therapy (BCT), is clearly more effective than individual treatment at increasing abstinence and improving relationship functioning. New BCT studies showed efficacy with women alcoholics and with gay and lesbian alcoholics, and BCT was successfully transported to a community clinic, a brief BCT version was tested, and BCT was adapted for family members other than spouses. Future studies should evaluate the following: MFT with couples where both members have a current alcohol problem and with minority patients, mechanisms of change, transportability of evidence-based MFT approaches to clinical practice settings, and replication of MFT outcomes of reduced partner violence and improved child functioning.

Does Ethnicity Affect the Coping of Military Spouses?

This article presents results of an exploratory study of how Army military spouses with children cope with everyday stresses varies based on ethnic background. The study used data from 4,464 respondents of the 2001 Survey of Army Families IV (SAF IV). SAF IV, fielded April through July 2001, was used to reduce the confounding associated with the Iraq war. The results of five-stepwise regressions indicated that there were four common predictors and four ethnically specific predictors of how spouses cope. It was also found that the major sample (Caucasian) was most reflective of the analysis of the total sample of 4,464. Two of the primary predictors of spouse coping were the Problems Experienced Scale and the spouses’ ability to keep themselves well informed about the Army. Study findings suggest that while similarities in coping exist between ethnic groups, there are also important ethnic differences in coping relevant to family policy and practice. These differences warrant further study based on a larger sample of spouses

Coping With Interpersonal Stress: Role of Big Five Traits

Seventy-one couples living in a stepfamily context reported interpersonal family stressors and related coping strategies daily for 1 week in a daily process study. The role of personality and of the stressful context in each of the spouse's coping was examined. Personality was assessed via the Five-Factor Model (Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness to Experience, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness). Two types of stressors emerged as primary dimensions of stepfamily stress: marital conflict and child misbehavior. These were treated as contextual factors in multilevel modeling analyses examining the independent and interactive effects of personality and situation on coping. Nine subscales of coping were examined based on three main functions of coping: problem-, emotion- and relationship-focused. Both the situational context and the five dimensions of personality examined were significantly and independently related to coping-strategy use. Moreover, there were significant personality-by-context interactions. The present study highlights the importance of considering personality in context when examining coping behaviors.

Testing Hypothesized Predictors of Change in Conjoint Behavioral Alcoholism Treatment for Men

Background: The model on which alcohol-related Behavioral Couples Therapy (ABCT) is based posits three primary domains related to alcohol consumption: individual factors, the quality and nature of the spouse's response to alcohol-related situations, and the nature and quality of the couple's marital interactions. Methods: This study tested the model underlying ABCT in a sample of 68 male alcoholics and their partners, who completed at least five sessions of a 15-session outpatient treatment study in which they received ABCT. Couples were assessed at baseline, during treatment, and for 6 months after treatment completion. Stepwise multiple regression was used to test specific predictors derived from the ABCT model. Results: Some support was provided for each component of the ABCT model. Individual drinker variables predicted drinking outcomes, both during and after treatment. Specifically, greater drinking severity and drinking frequency at baseline predicted poorer drinking outcomes. Older client age and more education predicted less frequent but more intense drinking. Spouse coping was related primarily to measures of drinking intensity, rather than drinking frequency. Less intense drinking during treatment was predicted by greater spousal use of problem solving and social support to deal with problems and less use of self-blame, wishful thinking, and avoidance. After treatment, however, spouse coping had a less consistent relationship to drinking intensity. In the marital domain, drinking during treatment was unrelated to pretreatment marital satisfaction measures. However, in the 6 months after treatment, men's ability to remain abstinent was predicted by the quality of the pretreatment marital relationship, and the intensity of their drinking was predicted by the degree of their marital happiness immediately after treatment. Conclusions: Results provided substantial support for the ABCT model, particularly in relationship to the role of the spouse in affecting heavy drinking.

Testing Hypothesized Predictors of Change in Conjoint Behavioral Alcoholism Treatment for Men

The model on which alcohol-related Behavioral Couples Therapy (ABCT) is based posits three primary domains related to alcohol consumption: individual factors, the quality and nature of the spouse's response to alcohol-related situations, and the nature and quality of the couple's marital interactions. This study tested the model underlying ABCT in a sample of 68 male alcoholics and their partners, who completed at least five sessions of a 15-session outpatient treatment study in which they received ABCT. Couples were assessed at baseline, during treatment, and for 6 months after treatment completion. Stepwise multiple regression was used to test specific predictors derived from the ABCT model. Some support was provided for each component of the ABCT model. Individual drinker variables predicted drinking outcomes, both during and after treatment. Specifically, greater drinking severity and drinking frequency at baseline predicted poorer drinking outcomes. Older client age and more education predicted less frequent but more intense drinking. Spouse coping was related primarily to measures of drinking intensity, rather than drinking frequency. Less intense drinking during treatment was predicted by greater spousal use of problem solving and social support to deal with problems and less use of self-blame, wishful thinking, and avoidance. After treatment, however, spouse coping had a less consistent relationship to drinking intensity. In the marital domain, drinking during treatment was unrelated to pretreatment marital satisfaction measures. However, in the 6 months after treatment, men's ability to remain abstinent was predicted by the quality of the pretreatment marital relationship, and the intensity of their drinking was predicted by the degree of their marital happiness immediately after treatment. Results provided substantial support for the ABCT model, particularly in relationship to the role of the spouse in affecting heavy drinking.