Parenting and Family Concerns of Couples Navigating Advanced Breast Cancer: Exploring Discussions Around Parenting Challenges and Targets for Intervention.
Juliet L Kroll, Morgan Jones, Sujin Ann-Yi, Mariana Chavez-MacGregor, Eduardo Bruera, Kathrin Milbury
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: Parents with advanced cancer and their partners are more likely to experience psychological distress than their counterparts without minor children. Greater relationship functioning may support parents in distress.
Aims: The current study seeks to explore couples' cancer-related parenting communication behaviors, perception and their associations with psychological and relational wellbeing.
Methods: Women diagnosed with an advanced breast cancer (Stage III-IV) and their partners (n = 46 dyads) parenting a minor child reported psychological symptoms (CES-D, GAD-7), relational wellbeing (DAS-7) and cancer-related parenting concerns (PCQ, patient only). As part of an observational task, couples completed a Family Concern Inventory (FCI) to identify cancer-related family concerns. Then, each member selected one concern to discuss. Immediately after the discussion, participants rated their perception of the discussion and their state positive and negative affect.
Results: Parents (mean age = 43.4 years, 56% non-Hispanic White, two female couples) endorsed high psychological distress, with patients reporting greater family concerns than partners (t = 3.80, p < 0.001). Both members of the couple indicated high levels of self-disclosure and felt validated and accepted by their partners during the discussion. Yet, patients rated the discussion as more helpful than partners (t = 2.3, p = 0.03). There was a small reduction in positive affect following discussion for partners only. However, the more partners disclosed their emotions, the greater their post-discussion positive affect (r = 0.50, p < 0.001).
Conclusions: Couples' ability to openly communicate around cancer-related parenting concerns is associated with aspects of psychological adjustment. Findings identify targets and underscore importance of flexibility for future interventions.
期刊介绍:
Psycho-Oncology is concerned with the psychological, social, behavioral, and ethical aspects of cancer. This subspeciality addresses the two major psychological dimensions of cancer: the psychological responses of patients to cancer at all stages of the disease, and that of their families and caretakers; and the psychological, behavioral and social factors that may influence the disease process. Psycho-oncology is an area of multi-disciplinary interest and has boundaries with the major specialities in oncology: the clinical disciplines (surgery, medicine, pediatrics, radiotherapy), epidemiology, immunology, endocrinology, biology, pathology, bioethics, palliative care, rehabilitation medicine, clinical trials research and decision making, as well as psychiatry and psychology.
This international journal is published twelve times a year and will consider contributions to research of clinical and theoretical interest. Topics covered are wide-ranging and relate to the psychosocial aspects of cancer and AIDS-related tumors, including: epidemiology, quality of life, palliative and supportive care, psychiatry, psychology, sociology, social work, nursing and educational issues.
Special reviews are offered from time to time. There is a section reviewing recently published books. A society news section is available for the dissemination of information relating to meetings, conferences and other society-related topics. Summary proceedings of important national and international symposia falling within the aims of the journal are presented.