There is a large body of work focusing on the well-being and relationships of couples facing late-stage cancer. The systemic study underpinning this paper explored a less researched topic: How do people caring for a partner with terminal cancer construct their experience and relationships through personal and couple narratives? This UK-based study drew upon dialogical approaches to narrative analysis to focus on six caring partners and their care relationships. Following individual case analysis, two methods of cross-narrative analysis were developed, and an analysis of narrative themes and a typology of archetypal narratives were drawn from the data. This paper focuses on the typology. The clinical implications of the study are considered, focusing on the contribution of a typology to this and future studies.1 The paper demonstrates how narratives were utilised to construct the experience, identity, and couple relationships of people caring for a terminally ill partner. 2 Narratives of care are contextualised within personal and relational narratives. 3 A typology of narrative themes is identified. The blow-by-blow narratives illustrate how participants sought to construct coherence and meaning in the illness story, while champion and resilience narratives demonstrate how participants utilised positive self and relational narratives to manage a time of biographical disruption. 4 Clinical implications of the study are considered: the importance of a relational perspective in palliative care is emphasised and potential therapeutic conversations with couples based upon the study are suggested.
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