Objectives
Caregivers may restore patient self-determination in disease by supporting their autonomy, and thus enhance their well-being. In this study, we investigated the between- and within-person effects of recipient-reported and provider-reported autonomy support on patient daily biopsychosocial well-being in patient–caregiver dyads following haematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT).
Design
A dyadic daily-diary study conducted for 28 days after patients’ hospital discharge following HCT.
Methods
Patients and their caregivers (N = 200) participated in a 28-day daily-diary study. They completed measures of daily autonomy support reception (patients) and provision (caregivers), subjective physical health, affect (positive/negative), and relationship satisfaction.
Results
The patient’s feeling of being supported in their autonomy was associated with their better positive affect and relationship satisfaction, both overall (between-person effect) and daily (within-person effect). Caregiver-reported overall and daily support of patient autonomy did not predict patient daily biopsychosocial well-being.
Conclusions
These findings extended the evidence that autonomy support reported by patients facing HCT may have both accumulative and acute beneficial effects on their psychological and social well-being.