The aim of this prospective study was to examine the relation of a positive personal characteristic, i.e., dispositional optimism, to physical and emotional well-being and positive affect in a sample of chronic cardiac patients and their partners. One hundred and four cardiac patients (25 women; mean age = 64.36 years) and their spouses (mean age = 60.04; all couples were married) participated in the study. Patient and partner dispositional optimism was assessed at baseline; well-being and positive affect, four months later. Τhe Actor-Partner Interdependence Model was used to examine the dyadic effects of optimism on physical and emotional well-being and positive affect. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied to run these analyses. In almost all cases, patient and spouse baseline optimism was positively related to their own well-being and positive emotions. Furthermore, patient optimism positively predicted spouse outcomes. However, spouse optimism was not related to any of the patients’ indicators of well-being or positive emotions. These findings provide further support to the beneficial role of optimism, at an intra- and also inter-personal level. Furthermore, they indicate that, even when dealing with severe chronic disease, there are still positive personal characteristics, like dispositional optimism, which may help patients and their partners achieve better adaptation and higher levels of well-being.
Abstract. Both individual and dyadic coping behaviors are important for adaptation to a severe illness. However, there is a theoretical controversy regarding the interplay between these two forms of coping. In this cross-sectional study, we examined (a) whether recently diagnosed cancer patients engage mostly with one form of coping or whether they use both in parallel; (b) the relationship of individual and supportive dyadic/common coping to emotional well-being and relationship satisfaction. Participants were 92 women recently diagnosed with cancer (mostly breast cancer) and receiving medical treatment ( Mage = 49.37 years; SD = 10.52). All had been living with their partner for at least 2 years. The parallel use of individual and supportive dyadic/common coping behaviors was frequently reported. Individual and dyadic/common coping proved to be related to each other ( p < .01), and both were related to emotional well-being and relationship satisfaction ( p < .05). The combination of high individual and high supportive dyadic/common coping was associated with greater satisfaction with the relationship ( p < .01). Patients probably use individual and dyadic coping behaviors in concert to better deal with the different aspects of their illness experience. Both types of coping should be considered in the context of personalized intervention programs to facilitate adaptation to cancer.
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