Adjustment Among Husbands of Women with Breast Cancer

Abstract

The effect of marital support and support from other adults on the emotional and physical adjustment of 121 husbands of women with breast cancer was examined. Role function and satisfaction with health care also were evaluated as predictors of adjustment.

Intact data series were obtained at 7-10 days and at 1,2, 3,6, and 12 months after surgery. Emotional adjustment could be predicted by satisfaction with the patient's response to interactional and emotional needs and by support from other adults. The relationships were significant at concurrent times, across contiguous times, and predictive from the 7-10 day postsurgical period to both the 6-month and one-year end points. Although physical adjustment was predicted by support only at selected times, satisfaction with health care was predictive of perceived overall health status at five of the six data-collection periods. Functional status in vocational, domestic, and social roles was significantly related to emotional adjustment at all times with few exceptions and to physical adjustment at selected times. Type of surgery and stage of disease had an effect on selected physical and emotional outcomes over time.