Good for one bad for the other: Cancer patients’ compensatory control strategies and partners’ well-being

Abstract

Background: Following tumor surgery, urinary incontinence can challenge prostate cancer patients’ and their partners’ goal pursuit and well-being. Patients’ use of compensatory primary control (CPC) is proposed to help manage difficulties in goal pursuit by using technical aids and help, whereas use of compensatory secondary control (CSC) strategies is assumed to organize goal disengagement while protecting motivational resources. Patients' compensatory control strategies were examined as correlates of patients' and partners' well-being. Methods: This study used a correlational design. Data on patients’ use of compensatory control, severity of incontinence and patients’ and partners’ depressive symptoms (N=169 couples) were assessed at four times within seven months following patients’ post-surgical onset of incontinence. Findings: Patients’ use of CPC strategies was associated with less depressive symptoms in patients and more depressive symptoms in partners. Conversely, patients’ intense use of CSC was related with higher depressive symptoms in patients and lower depressive symptoms in partners. Discussion: Potential of reverse causation and possible couple-level consequences arising from opposite effects of patients’ use of compensatory control on both partners’ well-being are discussed.