Perceived social support and posttraumatic growth among couples coping with gynecological cancer: A cross-sectional survey

Abstract

Abstract Background Perceived social support was considered to be an essential resource of individual’s positive consequences (e.g., posttraumatic growth, PTG) during times of stressful conditions. However, there is no evidence on the relationship between perceived social support and PTG at the couple-based level in cancer research. This study aimed to explore the relationship between perceived social support and posttraumatic growth among couples coping with gynecological cancer. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted in China, from May 2019 to March 2020 in two comprehensive hospitals. A total of 126 couples, consisting of women diagnosed with gynecological cancer and their spouses, participated. The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) and the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) were used to collect data. Paired t-tests, pearson’s correlations and actor-partner interdependence model (APIM) were used to analyze data. Results The actor effects of perceived social support on posttraumatic growth were supported (r = 0.419, p < 0.001; r = 0.467, p < 0.001); however, the partner effects of perceived social support on posttraumatic growth were not supported (r = -0.119, p>0.05; r = 0.130, p>0.05). Perceived social support was positively correlated between women diagnosed with gynecological cancer and their spouses (r = 0.244, p < 0.01). Furthermore, spouses’ perceived social support was positively correlated with women’s posttraumatic growth (r = 0.213, p < 0.05). Conclusions The actor effects of perceived social support on posttraumatic growth in couples coping with GC are supported. The findings also highlight that spouses’ perceived social support are positively correlated with women’s perceived social support and women’s PTG. Healthcare professionals should provide couple-based interventions that would increase couples’ identification and use of effective social support, and how to promote their PTG should be focused.