The relationship between threat appraisal and social constraints in cancer survivors and their spouses.

Full Abstract

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Social constraints stem from unsupportive social environments and are associated with reluctance to discuss stressor-related thoughts and feelings. Support deterioration and erosion models provide a framework for explaining how a cancer patient's threat appraisal contributes to a spouse's inadvertent constraint on the patient's emotional expression. Also, based on social comparison theory and the convoy model, a discrepancy in threat appraisal between patient and spouse may create social constraints. Contrary to social cognitive processing theories, we hypothesized that threat appraisals may be an antecedent of social constraints, rather than a consequence. Cancer patients (n=75) and their spouses (n=75) completed questionnaires assessing cancer-related threat appraisals and perceived spousal social constraints at two time points. Cross-lagged panel design results suggested that patient appraisal precedes and predicts patients' perception of social constraints. However, patient and spouse appraisals did not significantly interact in predicting spousal constraints. Limitations and implications are discussed.

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Author information

Author/s: Herzer, Michele (M); Zakowski, Sandra G (SG); Flanigan, Robert (R); Johnson, Peter (P);

Affiliation: Department of Psychology, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, 3333 Green Bay Road, North Chicago, IL 60064, USA. Michele.Herzer(-atsign-)students.rosalindfranklin.edu

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Multicenter Study; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

Journal: Journal of behavioral medicine (J Behav Med), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2006-Dec; vol 29 (issue 6) : pp 549-60

Dates: Created 2006/11/22; Completed 2007/03/13;

PMID: 16951990, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Chicago
Emotions
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Genital Neoplasms, Female - psychology
Humans
Male
Middle Aged

Multivariate Analysis
Neoplasms - psychology
Prostatic Neoplasms - psychology
Regression Analysis
Social Behavior
Social Perception
Social Support
Spouses - psychology
Stress, Psychological - psychology
Survivors - psychology
Wisconsin

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