Holding back, intimacy, and psychological and relationship outcomes among couples coping with prostate cancer.

Abstract

The present study evaluated intimacy as a mechanism for the effects of holding back sharing concerns about cancer on couples' psychological distress, well-being, and marital satisfaction using the actor-partner interdependence model (APIM), and evaluated 2 possible moderators of these associations: the number of patient and spouse cancer concerns. We had 139 men treated for localized prostate cancer in the past year and their spouses complete surveys about holding back sharing cancer concerns, intimacy, distress, and relationship satisfaction, as well as patient and spouse cancer concerns. APIM-indicated that the association between holding back sharing concerns, and patient and spouse distress, well-being, and relationship satisfaction could be partially accounted for by their influence on patient and spouse perceptions of relationship intimacy. The number of cancer concerns did not moderate the mediational model. Holding back has strong associations with both partners' well-being and distress. Holding back sharing concerns was particularly detrimental for couples' intimacy and relationship satisfaction.

Correlates of concealment behavior among couples coping with cancer: Actor partner model

“…Accordingly, lower perception of empathy from the spouse, lower intimacy, and greater perception of avoidant behaviors and criticism from the spouse are associated with higher levels of holding back from talking about cancer‐related concerns . Notably, whereas 1 study reported lower levels of holding back among female spouses, another reported greater levels of holding back among female spouses, than among their male partners …”

Couple‐focused interventions for men with localized prostate cancer and their spouses: A randomized clinical trial

“…Partners report sexual dissatisfaction (Garos, Kluck, & Aronoff, 2007) and poorer relationship communication (Manne, Badr, Zaider, Nelson, & Kissane, 2010). Constructive marital communication is associated with better patient and spouse quality of life and marital satisfaction (Badr & Taylor, 2009;Manne et al, 2010Manne et al, , 2015Song et al, 2012). Despite its importance, some couples struggle to communicate (Badr & Taylor, 2009;Haun, Sklenarova, Brechtel, Herzog, & Hartmann, 2014;Manne et al, 2010Manne et al, , 2015.…”

“…Constructive marital communication is associated with better patient and spouse quality of life and marital satisfaction (Badr & Taylor, 2009;Manne et al, 2010Manne et al, , 2015Song et al, 2012). Despite its importance, some couples struggle to communicate (Badr & Taylor, 2009;Haun, Sklenarova, Brechtel, Herzog, & Hartmann, 2014;Manne et al, 2010Manne et al, , 2015. Avoiding discussion of cancerrelated concerns, particularly sexuality and worries about the future, is relatively common in this population (Manne et al, 2015).…”

Individual and mutual predictors of marital satisfaction among prostate cancer patients and their spouses

“…As noted, the marital relationship between patients with prostate cancer and their spouses has been widely studied in European countries and in the United States (Couper et al., ; Hamilton, Van Dam, & Wassersug, ; Harden et al., ; Manne et al., ; Merz et al., ; Tran et al., ; Wittmann et al., ; Zhou et al., ); such research has rarely been conducted in Asian countries. In this regard, in different cultures, couples have different social role expectations.…”