Associations between self-efficacy, distress and anxiety in cancer patient-relative dyads visiting psychosocial cancer support services: Using actor-partner interdependence modelling.

<h4>Background</h4>Patients with cancer and their relatives often suffer from psychosocial burdens following a cancer diagnosis. Psychosocial cancer support services offer support for cancer patients and their relatives. Only a few studies have focused on associations of psychological fa...

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Autores principales: Solveigh P Lingens, Florian Schulz, Isabell Müller, Holger Schulz, Christiane Bleich
Formato: article
Lenguaje:EN
Publicado: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2021
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Acceso en línea:https://doaj.org/article/08a69a482db84c628efda4f87c036911
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Sumario:<h4>Background</h4>Patients with cancer and their relatives often suffer from psychosocial burdens following a cancer diagnosis. Psychosocial cancer support services offer support for cancer patients and their relatives. Only a few studies have focused on associations of psychological factors within patient-relative dyads. This study aims to assess associations between the patients' or relatives' self-efficacy and their levels of distress and anxiety who seek help together at psychosocial cancer support centres.<h4>Methods</h4>Participants were recruited at two psychosocial cancer support centres in a major city in Germany. Patients with cancer and their relatives seeking support together received the questionnaire before their first support session. Self-efficacy was assessed with the Pearlin sense of mastery scale, distress with the distress thermometer and anxiety with the General Anxiety Disorder questionnaire (GAD-7). For the analysis, the actor-partner interdependence model was applied.<h4>Results</h4>The data analysis was based on 41 patient-relative dyads (patients: 39% women, mean age 53.5; relatives: 66% women, mean age 52.16). A significant actor effect from self-efficacy to distress was found for patients (r = -0.47) but not for relatives (r = -0.15). Partner effects from self-efficacy to distress were not significant (r = -0.03, r = -0.001). The actor effect from self-efficacy to anxiety for patients (r = -0.61) as well as relatives was significant (r = -0.62), whereas the partner effect was significant for patients (r = 0.16) but not for relatives (r = -0.46).<h4>Conclusion</h4>The results suggest that patients' and relatives' self-efficacy is associated with their distress and anxiety. Partner effects were visible for patients' self-efficacy and relatives' anxiety. These findings suggest that self-efficacy is an important factor for the psychological well-being of patients and relatives and that it may additionally be associated with the partners' well-being. Longitudinal research with larger samples is needed to support the findings.