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Religious coping and problem-solving by couples faced with prostate cancer.
S M Yoshimoto1, S Ghorbani, J M Baer
1Rebecca & John Moores UCSD Cancer Center, La Jolla, California, USA.
European Journal of Cancer Care
|December 21, 2006
Summary
Couples managing prostate cancer challenges improved problem-solving when both partners used religion as a coping resource. However, wives using religious coping alone showed worse problem-solving skills.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Oncology
- Sociology
Background:
- Chronic illness, such as prostate cancer, presents significant challenges for patients and their spouses.
- Religion can serve as a crucial coping mechanism for individuals facing health adversity.
- Effective problem-solving skills are vital for navigating the complexities of chronic illness management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between religious coping and problem-solving abilities in couples affected by prostate cancer.
- To determine if shared religious coping influences problem-solving outcomes differently than individual religious coping.
Main Methods:
- A study involving 101 patients with prostate cancer and their wives.
- Wives completed the Social Problem-Solving Inventory--Revised at two time points (baseline and 10 weeks later).
- Couples were categorized into four groups based on religious coping engagement: husband only, wife only, both, or neither.
Main Results:
- Wives in couples where both partners engaged in religious coping showed a significant reduction in impulsive/careless problem-solving.
- Wives who engaged in religious coping without their husbands' participation demonstrated poorer problem-solving outcomes.
- Shared religious coping was linked to improved problem-solving among wives.
Conclusions:
- Shared religious coping within couples facing prostate cancer may enhance problem-solving skills.
- Sole reliance on religious coping by wives may be associated with diminished problem-solving capabilities.
- The dyadic use of religious coping appears to be a key factor in improving adaptive functioning for couples managing chronic illness.
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