The role of daily partner-directed gratitude, relationship functioning, and fear of recurrence in couples coping with breast cancer
Date
2014
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Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
Recent research on gratitude in the context of close relationships has demonstrated its importance in relationship development and maintenance as well as individual subjective well-being. However, this literature has not yet explored the role of gratitude for couples facing a significant life stressor, such as couples coping with cancer. The present study attempts to address this gap in the literature by exploring the influence of partner-directed gratitude on relationship intimacy and fear of cancer recurrence (FOR) in breast cancer patients and their partners. FOR has been shown to be one of the primary concerns facing cancer patients and their families. We hypothesized that felt and expressed gratitude would be associated within-person with relationship intimacy in patients and their partners. Moreover, we hypothesized that intimacy would be associated within-person with lower levels of FOR in patients and their partners. Using a daily-diary design, patients and spouses each independently reported on their daily experience of gratitude, intimacy, and FOR for 10 consecutive days. Using a generalized mediation framework, results showed that relationship intimacy was a significant within-person mediator of the link between gratitude and FOR for both patients and their partners. This work suggests that couples may benefit from gratitude-based interventions to aid in enhancing intimacy and management of psychosocial concerns that result from medical adversity.