title: Stress buffering effects of daily spousal support on women's daily emotional and physical experiences in the context of breast cancer concerns.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study examined whether the relationship between daily spousal support and daily psychological and physical outcomes varied as a function of level of breast cancer related concern (stress buffering model).
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-five women with early stage breast cancer completed daily reports of emotional and physical experiences and satisfaction with spousal support for 30 days. Women also rated problems dealing with three types of cancer specific concerns: emotional, physical, and social.
  
  
  METHODS
  Women's positive and negative affect and cancer related pain and fatigue.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Multilevel analyses supported a stress buffering effect for social concerns and a reverse stress buffering effect for emotional and physical concerns.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Daily spousal support appears to be an important contributor to the daily emotional and physical wellbeing of women with breast cancer. Contrary to the tenets of the stress buffering model, these data suggest that the buffering effect of spousal support is attenuated when breast cancer related emotional and physical concerns reach high levels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, USA. tgremore@northshore.org
authors.forename: Tina M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Gremore
authors.forename: Donald H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Baucom
authors.forename: Laura S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Porter
authors.forename: Jennifer S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Kirby
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Atkins
authors.forename: Francis J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Keefe
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008875:Middle Aged; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D012944:Social Support; D049250:Speech Recognition Software; D018454:Spouses; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014481:United States; D014584:User-Computer Interface