Interaction effect of coping self-efficacy and received support in daily life of hematopoietic cell transplant patient-caregiver dyads

Objectives
According to the social cognitive theory, social support and self-efficacy may interact with each other i.e. compete or account jointly for better adaptation. This study examined the nature of the interaction between coping self-efficacy and received social support in daily lives of patient-caregiver dyads after cancer treatment. We tested whether the effect of daily fluctuations in coping self-efficacy and received support on daily affect was synergistic (positive jointed effect), compensatory (positive competing effect), or interference (negative competing effect).

Design
A dyadic daily-diary study conducted for 28 days after hospital discharge following hematopoietic cell transplantation.

Methods
Coping self-efficacy, received support, and positive and negative affect were measured in 200 patient-caregiver dyads. The analysis was based on the actor-partner interdependence moderation model using multilevel structural equation modeling.

Results
Statistically significant effect of interaction between daily coping self-efficacy and received support on negative affect was found, although only in the caregivers. In that group, higher daily received support compensated for lower daily coping self-efficacy but had a negative effect when coping self-efficacy was significantly higher than typical. Also, direct beneficial effects of higher daily coping self-efficacy and received support on caregiver positive affect were found. In the patients, higher daily coping self-efficacy was directly associated with better daily affect.

Conclusions
Diverse effects of daily coping self-efficacy and received social support were found—the interference effect in the caregivers and the main effect of coping self-efficacy in the patients. Higher daily coping self-efficacy and optimal received social support may provide resilience against affect disturbance after cancer treatment.