Exploring Psychological Capital, Dyadic Coping, and Ego Depletion in PCOS Patients and Their Spouses: An Actor‒Partner Interdependence Mediation Model.

Abstract

Purpose: This study examined the actor and partner associations between psychological capital and ego depletion among women with polycystic ovary syndrome and their spouses during lifestyle management, and tested the mediating role of dyadic coping using the actor-partner interdependence mediation model.

Patients and methods: This cross-sectional dyadic study included 303 women diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) with a body mass index ≥24 kg/m² and their spouses, recruited from two tertiary hospitals in Hebei Province, China, between July and November 2025. Each partner completed self-report questionnaires assessing psychological capital, dyadic coping, and ego depletion. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25.0 and AMOS version 26.0, with descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analyses, and an Actor-Partner Interdependence Mediation Model (APIMeM) conducted within a structural equation modeling framework. Bootstrap procedures with 5000 resamples were applied to test indirect effects, and model fit was evaluated using standard indices.

Results: The findings suggested actor effects, suggesting that psychological capital in women with PCOS and their spouses was associated with their own dyadic coping and ego depletion. This study found that patients' psychological capital was associated with ego depletion, with patients' and spouses' dyadic coping showing a partial mediating role. Dyadic coping in both couples fully accounted for the association within the model the association between spouses' psychological capital and patients' ego depletion.

Conclusion: This study suggests that psychological capital and dyadic coping are important psychosocial factors associated with ego depletion among women with polycystic ovary syndrome and their spouses during lifestyle management. The findings indicate that strengthening psychological capital and dyadic coping may be relevant to supporting lifestyle management and may provide a useful reference for dyad-oriented nursing practice in PCOS care.