title: Calibrating Independence Goals and Partner Support: Couples Adjust to Functional Limitations after Tumor Surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  When patients recover from disease-related functional limitations, support received from partners may not always match patients' changing independence goals. The lines of defense (LoD) model proposes a hierarchy of independence goals (LoDs), ranging from minimising discomfort by disengagement (lowest LoD) to protection of self-reliance (highest LoD). Prostate cancer patients' LoDs were examined as moderators of the association between partner support and patients' and partners' affect during patients' recovery from postsurgical functional limitations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from 169 couples were assessed four times within 7 months following patients' surgery. Patients reported on post-surgery functional limitations (i.e. incontinence), LoDs, affect, and received partner support. Partners reported on affect and support provided to patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In patients endorsing lower LoDs, more received support was associated with less negative affect. Also, not endorsing high LoDs while receiving strong partner support was related to patients' lower negative and higher positive affect. Partners' support provision to patients tended to be associated with increases in partners' negative affect when patients had endorsed higher LoDs and with increases in positive affect when patients had endorsed lower LoDs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Matching patients' independence goals or LoDs with partners' support may be beneficial for patients' and partners' affect.
authors.affiliation: Freie Universität Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Knoll
authors.affiliation: Freie Universität Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Amelie U
authors.initials: AU
authors.lastname: Wiedemann
authors.affiliation: Universitätsklinikum Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schrader
authors.affiliation: Universität Potsdam, Germany.
authors.forename: Juliane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Felber
authors.affiliation: Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Silke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Burkert
authors.affiliation: Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Isolde
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Daig
authors.affiliation: University of California, Irvine, USA.
authors.forename: Jutta
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Heckhausen
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000368:Aged; D003674:Defense Mechanisms; D005260:Female; D006040:Goals; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011468:Prostatectomy / Q000523:psychology*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery; D012747:Sexual Partners / Q000523:psychology*; D012944:Social Support; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology; D014549:Urinary Incontinence / Q000523:psychology
keywords: couples; independence goals; lines of defense; prostate cancer; social support