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Attachment style, social support and finding meaning among spouses of colorectal cancer patients: Gender differences

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 August 2013

Ilanit Hasson-Ohayon*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
Gil Goldzweig
Affiliation:
School of Behavioral Sciences, The Academic College of Tel Aviv-Yaffo, Israel
Tal Sela-Oren
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
Noam Pizem
Affiliation:
Institute of Oncology, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
Gil Bar-Sela
Affiliation:
Division of Oncology, Rambam Health Care Campus and Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
Ido Wolf
Affiliation:
Institute of Oncology, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Ilanit Hasson-Ohayon, Department of Psychology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel. E-mails: ilanit.hasson-ohayon@biu.ac.il; ilanithasson@gmail.com

Abstract

Objectives:

The current study explores the relationship between attachment styles, social support, gender and finding meaning in caregiving among spousal caregivers of colorectal cancer patients.

Methods:

Sixty caregivers (30 men and 30 women) were administered questionnaires assessing attachment styles, social support and finding meaning in caregiving, using a cross-sectional design.

Results:

For male caregivers avoidance attachment is associated with their finding meaning, whereas for female caregivers social support is associated with their finding meaning.

Significance of results:

Psychological interventions for caregivers should take into consideration gender differences and might benefit from addressing the process of finding meaning in caregiving.

Type
Original Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2013 

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