Wertheim R, et al. - The objective of this study was to shed light on the dyadic relationships of an individual's perception of spousal support and dispositional perspective-taking with own and partner's levels of self-concealment behavior, among couples coping with cancer. The significant roles played by spousal support and perspective-taking in communication patterns between couples affected by cancer was underscored in this paper. Regardless of the perception of support from one's spouse probably lowering the need to conceal cancer-related issues, interventions targeting the couples' communication ought to address the differential implications of perspective-taking. The reason being either more or less self-concealment among couples, depending on role and gender.

Methods

• The recruitment constituted 61 heterosexual couples coping with cancer.
• The scheme of this trial was a large scale cross-sectional study.
• Patients and their spouses independently completed measures of perceived spousal support, perspective-taking and contextual self-concealment.
• An assessment was conducted of the dyadic data via the actor-partner interdependence model both for couples in which the woman was the patient and also for couples in which the man was the patient.

Results

• Irrespective of gender and role, the perceived spousal support negatively speculated the contextual self-concealment.
• Implications of perspective-taking for concealment behavior appeared to be dependent on role and gender.
• A correlation was brought to light between female patient's perspective-taking with a reduction in her own and her spouse's concealment behavior.
• Male spouse's perspective-taking was related to an increase in his own and his spouse's concealment behavior.
• Female spouse's perspective-taking negatively predicted patient's concealment behavior, but not her own.