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Annals of Behavioral Medicine
Published in: Annals of Behavioral Medicine 3/2012

01-12-2012 | Original Article

The Role of Blame in the Psychosocial Adjustment of Couples Coping with Lung Cancer

Authors: Kathrin Milbury, Ph.D., Hoda Badr, Ph.D., Cindy L. Carmack, Ph.D.

Published in: Annals of Behavioral Medicine | Issue 3/2012

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Abstract

Background

Lung cancer patients and their spouses may engage in blame attributions regarding the cancer cause, which may adversely affect their psychological adjustment.

Purpose

The aim of this study was to examine whether dyadic adjustment and network support moderate the association between blame and distress in couples affected by lung cancer.

Methods

Patients and their spouses completed questionnaires within 1 month of treatment initiation (baseline) and at 6-month follow-up.

Results

Multilevel modeling of data from 158 couples revealed that, at baseline, dyadic adjustment moderated the association between blame and distress for patients but not spouses (p < 0.05). Controlling for baseline distress, baseline blame predicted later distress (p < 0.05) for both patients and spouses regardless of dyadic adjustment. Network support moderated this association at follow-up.

Conclusion

For patients experiencing low dyadic adjustment, blame was associated with increased distress. Not initially but later, network support may protect against low levels but not high levels of blame in patients and spouses.
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Metadata
Title
The Role of Blame in the Psychosocial Adjustment of Couples Coping with Lung Cancer
Authors
Kathrin Milbury, Ph.D.
Hoda Badr, Ph.D.
Cindy L. Carmack, Ph.D.
Publication date
01-12-2012
Publisher
Springer-Verlag
Published in
Annals of Behavioral Medicine / Issue 3/2012
Print ISSN: 0883-6612
Electronic ISSN: 1532-4796
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-012-9402-5

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