Attachment style, social support and finding meaning among spouses of colorectal cancer patients: gender differences.
OBJECTIVE
The current study explores the relationship between attachment styles, social support, gender and finding meaning in caregiving among spousal caregivers of colorectal cancer patients.


METHODS
Sixty caregivers (30 men and 30 women) were administered questionnaires assessing attachment styles, social support and finding meaning in caregiving, using a cross-sectional design.


RESULTS
For male caregivers avoidance attachment is associated with their finding meaning, whereas for female caregivers social support is associated with their finding meaning.


CONCLUSIONS
Psychological interventions for caregivers should take into consideration gender differences and might benefit from addressing the process of finding meaning in caregiving.
Department of Psychology,Bar-Ilan University,Ramat Gan,Israel.
Ilanit
I
Hasson-Ohayon
School of Behavioral Sciences,The Academic College of Tel Aviv-Yaffo,Israel.
Gil
G
Goldzweig
Department of Psychology,Bar-Ilan University,Ramat Gan,Israel.
Tal
T
Sela-Oren
Institute of Oncology,Chaim Sheba Medical Center,Tel Hashomer,Israel.
Noam
N
Pizem
Division of Oncology,Rambam Health Care Campus and Faculty of Medicine,Technion-Israel Institute of Technology,Haifa,Israel.
Gil
G
Bar-Sela
Institute of Oncology,Chaim Sheba Medical Center,Tel Hashomer,Israel.
Ido
I
Wolf
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009769:Object Attachment; D005791:Patient Care / Q000523:psychology*; D012737:Sex Factors; D012944:Social Support; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology*
Attachment; Cancer; Caregiving; Meaning; Social support