Dyadic coping and illness adjustment after stroke: A longitudinal prospective study.

Abstract

Purpose/Objective: To investigate associations between illness appraisals, dyadic coping, and illness adjustment in individuals with stroke and their healthy partners. Method/Design: This longitudinal observational study examined dyadic data in 17 couples (patient and partner) after stroke. Patients and partners completed self-report measures on event centrality of the stroke (appraisal) at 2 months (t 1 ), common dyadic coping (CDC) at 5 months (t 2 ), and quality of life (adjustment) at 8 months (t 3 ) after the stroke. Dyadic data were analyzed using actor-partner interdependence models. Results: Higher event centrality at t 1 predicted more CDC at t 2 in patients (b = 0.38, p , .05). For partners, the effect of event centrality on dyadic coping differed significantly from the patients' effect but was not significant itself (b = −0.17, p = .601). More CDC at t 2 predicted higher physical (b = 3.21, p , .05) and psychological quality of life at t 3 (b = 3.66, p , .05) for partners but not for patients. Conclusions/Implications: Preliminary evidence suggests that patients and their healthy partners may endorse event centrality of the stroke differentially. Perceiving dyadic coping processes seems to be especially important to the healthy partners' illness adjustment. Impact and ImplicationsThis article is one of the first to investigate dyadic coping in couples after a stroke. Dyadic coping might have different determinants and outcomes in patients and their healthy partners. Acknowledging and investigating these differences can optimize respective support offers (e.g., focusing on the maintenance of a couple relationship among partners). Future research needs to explore the differential meaning of event centrality to patients and healthy partners.