The Social Context of Coping with Prostate Cancer

Abstract

This investigation explored the links between coping and psychological outcomes among 57 survivors of prostate cancer who had been treated with radiation. Analyses revealed that the associations between coping and two outcomes, psychological distress and marital satisfaction, depended on the supportive context in which survivors were coping. Direct associations were observed between perceived support and the use of problem-focused and support-seeking strategies, whereas inverse associations emerged with self-blame, wishful thinking, and avoidance. The association between seeking support and marital satisfaction was strong and positive for men with high perceptions of support but was fairly weak and negative for men with low perceptions of support. Similarly, a high positive correlation emerged between wishful thinking and marital dissatisfaction for men with low perceived support, but a low negative correlation was observed between these variables for men with high perceived support.

Key Words:

• Coping
• social support
• prostate cancer
• marital satisfaction