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

The current study explores the relationship between attachment styles, social support, gender and finding meaning in caregiving among spousal caregivers of colorectal cancer patients. 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. For male caregivers avoidance attachment is associated with their finding meaning, whereas for female caregivers social support is associated with their finding meaning. Psychological interventions for caregivers should take into consideration gender differences and might benefit from addressing the process of finding meaning in caregiving.