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Attachment styles in patients with lung cancer and their spouses: associations with patient and spouse adjustment

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Abstract

Purpose

This study examined attachment styles in patients with lung cancer and their spouses and associations between attachment styles and patient and spouse adjustment.

Methods

One hundred twenty-seven patients with early stage lung cancer completed measures of attachment style, marital quality, self-efficacy, pain, depression, anxiety, and quality of life. Their spouses completed measures of attachment style, marital quality, self-efficacy, caregiver strain, and mood.

Results

Analyses indicated that, among patients, those high in either attachment anxiety or avoidance had significantly higher levels of anxiety and poorer social well-being. Attachment avoidance was also significantly associated with higher levels of depression and poorer marital quality and functional well-being. Spouse avoidant attachment was significantly associated with patient reports of increased pain and poorer functional well-being, and spouse anxious attachment was associated with poorer patient marital quality. Among spouses, those high in attachment avoidance reported significantly higher levels of caregiver strain, anger, depressed mood, and poorer marital quality; those high in attachment anxiety reported higher anxious mood. Dyads in which both partners were insecurely attached had significantly poorer adjustment compared to dyads in which both partners reported secure attachment.

Conclusions

These preliminary findings raise the possibility that attachment styles of cancer patients and their spouses as individuals and as a dyad may be important factors affecting adjustment in multiple domains.

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Acknowledgments

This study was funded by grant R01 CA91947 from the National Cancer Institute. It was also supported with resources and the use of facilities at the Durham VA Medical Center. The authors thank Michael Kelley, M.D., Kimberly Carson, M.P.H., Heidi Suarez, B.S., R.N., Carole Cain, Ph.D., Lauren Portnow, and the physicians and staff of the Duke Thoracic Oncology clinic for their assistance. They also extend their gratitude to all of the study participants for their time and effort.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Meredith Rumble

    Present address: University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA

  2. Cindy Scipio

    Present address: Durham VA, Durham, NC, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Duke University Medical Center, Box 90399, Durham, NC, 27708, USA

    Laura S. Porter, Francis J. Keefe, Meredith Rumble, Cindy Scipio & Jennifer Garst

  2. University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA

    Deborah Davis

Authors
  1. Laura S. Porter
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  2. Francis J. Keefe
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  3. Deborah Davis
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  4. Meredith Rumble
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  5. Cindy Scipio
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  6. Jennifer Garst
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Laura S. Porter.

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Porter, L.S., Keefe, F.J., Davis, D. et al. Attachment styles in patients with lung cancer and their spouses: associations with patient and spouse adjustment. Support Care Cancer 20, 2459–2466 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-011-1367-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-011-1367-6

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