Effects of received and mobilized support on recipients' and providers' self-efficacy beliefs: a 1-year follow-up study with patients receiving radical prostatectomy and their spouses.
From a proactive agentic perspective, social support is not just seen as a protective cushion against environmental demands. Rather, support may facilitate an individual's self-regulation by enhancing perceived self-efficacy (i.e., enabling hypothesis). In the present study, patient-reported indicators of mobilized and received spousal support as predictors of their own and their spouses' self-efficacy beliefs were investigated within 1 year following radical prostatectomy. During this time frame, postoperative sequelae such as urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunctions are still likely to interfere with couples' everyday activities. Seventy-two patients receiving radical prostatectomy and their spouses participated. Patients' and spouses' self-efficacy beliefs and patients' received and mobilized spousal support were assessed prior to and 12 months following surgery. Additional patient-reported covariates at 1 year post-surgery were degree of bother by urinary incontinence, overall sexual satisfaction, and relationship satisfaction. Results indicated that patients' received spousal support was associated with higher levels of patients' self-efficacy only cross-sectionally, but not longitudinally. Support mobilized by the patient prior to and 1 year after surgery, however, positively predicted spouses' levels and changes in self-efficacy. Results, thus, did not fully confirm predictions by the enabling hypothesis of social support; rather, associated aspects, such as the degree of being mobilized as a provider of support or being needed, seem to enhance agency beliefs in spouses.
Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany. nina.knoll@charite.de
Nina
N
Knoll
Urte
U
Scholz
Silke
S
Burkert
Jan
J
Roigas
Oliver
O
Gralla
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000368:Aged; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D003289:Convalescence; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003469:Culture; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000523:psychology*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000523:psychology*; D011468:Prostatectomy / Q000523:psychology*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012944:Social Support; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014549:Urinary Incontinence / Q000469:parasitology