Psychological Distress in Reaction to Lung Cancer as a Function of Spousal Support and Coping Strategy

Abstract

This study investigated the roles of spousal support and coping strategies in mediating the reaction of psychological distress to lung cancer. A battery of tests was administered to 60 lung cancer patients and their spouses one month after diagnosis and to 44 of the couples four months after diagnosis. Three models of analysis were used to test the hypotheses. Results showed that support was significantly related not only to psychological distress per se but to change in distress as well. The coping strategies of wish-fulfilling fantasy, self-blaming denial, and emotional expression were significantly related to greater distress. Moreover, wish-fulfilling fantasy was significantly related to change in distress. Thc results support the interpretations that the spouse's support serves a beneficial function for lung cancer patients in ameliorating psychological distress and that wish-fulfilling fantasy is an especially detrimental strategy for coping with psychological distress.