title: Psychosocial characteristics associated with breast cancer survivors' intimate partners' needs for information and support after primary breast cancer treatment.
abstract: This study examines which psychosocial characteristics are associated with breast cancer survivors' partners' posttreatment needs for information and support. Eighty-four partners completed measures of coping, social support, illness representations, perceived stress, self-efficacy, anxiety, depression, and marital malfunctioning. Partners in need reported higher anxiety and depression, emotional illness representations, and emotion-oriented coping than partners without needs. Moreover, partners needing information and support took a more negative view on the timeline and consequences of their spouse's posttreatment condition. Interventions aimed at enhancing partners' posttreatment adjustment should focus on partners responding emotionally as well as perceiving their spouse's condition as a chronic condition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Movement and Sport Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium. Evelyn.Pauwels@ugent.be
authors.forename: Evelyn
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pauwels
authors.forename: Ilse
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: De Bourdeaudhuij
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Charlier
authors.forename: Lilian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lechner
authors.forename: Elke
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Van Hoof
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D033181:Information Dissemination; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment; D012747:Sexual Partners / Q000523:psychology*; D012944:Social Support; D017741:Survivors; D055815:Young Adult