Breast Cancer Worry in U.S. Female First-degree Relatives: Moderating Role of Daily Spiritual Experiences.

Female first degree relatives of breast cancer patients experience worry because of their own increased breast cancer risk. The aim in the present study was to examine the role of daily spiritual experiences as a potential protective factor against breast cancer worry. We hypothesized that daily spiritual experiences would moderate the relationship between relatives' stage of disease and breast cancer worry. Sixty-three mothers, daughters or sisters of breast cancer survivors completed surveys assessing relative's disease characteristics and their own demographics, fear of breast cancer, and daily spiritual experiences. All participants were living in the midwestern United States. Results showed that daily spiritual experiences moderated the relationship between stage of disease and breast cancer worry. Low scores on daily spiritual experiences were associated with more worry when relatives had advanced disease, and high scores on daily spiritual experiences was associated with less worry when relatives had advanced disease. Findings suggest the need to focus on this population when providing support services to families of patients.

Depression in husbands of breast cancer patients: relationships to coping and social support.

PURPOSE: The purpose of the present study was to examine depression in husbands of women with breast cancer, as depression is typically as high in husbands as in patients, and impacts functioning in both. METHODS: We compared husbands of patients to husbands of women without chronic illness on depressive symptoms with the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, social support with the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List, and coping with the Ways of Coping Questionnaire. Using the stress and coping model, we examined whether coping mediated social support and depression differently by group, as has been found in the literature. RESULTS: Husbands of patients reported higher scores on the measure of depression and lower use of problem-focused coping, while groups reported equivalent social support. Escape-avoidance coping emerged as a full mediator between social support and depression in husbands of patients, but only a partial mediator in comparison husbands. Accepting responsibility coping partially mediated social support and depression in both groups. Low social support appears particularly detrimental in husbands of patients as it is associated with ineffective coping and depression. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that among husbands of patients, social support relates to depression only through its relationship with coping, indicating healthcare providers should direct attention and intervention to the coping strategies employed by husbands with low social support.

Social support mediates the relations between role strains and marital satisfaction in husbands of patients with fibromyalgia syndrome.

Husbands of patients with fibromyalgia syndrome (HFMS) report poorer physical and mental health than husbands of women without illness, as well as role strains because of their wives' condition. There are no published reports regarding the impact of fibromyalgia on their marital relationship. In the present study, we used Lazarus and Folkman's (1984) model of stress and coping as a framework to examine marital satisfaction among HFMS. We hypothesized that role strains would be related to marital satisfaction, mediated or moderated by social support and problem and emotion focused coping. HFMS (n=135) and husbands of healthy women (n=153) completed the Locke Wallace Marital Adjustment Test, the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List, and the Ways of Coping Questionnaire. Only HFMS completed the Psychological Adjustment to Illness Scale-Spouse Version. HFMS reported lower marital satisfaction than comparison husbands. Among HFMS, sexual and domestic roles strains and social support were related to marital satisfaction. Social support alone mediated the relationship between role strain and marital satisfaction, and no variable moderated the relationship. These findings support prior research that shows that these husbands are significantly impacted by their wives' condition, and suggest the need to focus more attention on this population, possibly targeting social support for interventions.