Lung Cancer Patients and Their Spouses: Psychological and Relationship Functioning Within 1 Month of Treatment Initiation

Abstract

Background Lung cancer morbidity and mortality may increase the risk for distress in couples facing this malignancy. Purpose We examined the prevalence of psychological and relationship distress in lung cancer patients and their spouses, predictors of psychological distress for both, and whether relationship satisfaction moderated the relation between patient and spouse distress. Methods Participants (169 patients and 167 spouses) completed questionnaires provided during clinic appointments at baseline (within one month of treatment initiation) and through the mail 3 and 6 months later. Analyses were from the baseline data. Results In total, 34.6% of patients and 36.4% of spouses reported psychological distress. Patient and spouse distress were correlated, depending on the symptom examined. Only 10.9% of patients and 14.1% of spouses reported distressed spousal relationships. Distress predictors for patients included less positive social interaction support, more behavioral disengagement and self-distraction coping, and the spouse reporting less use of humor for coping. Predictors for spouses included more behavioral disengagement and substance use coping, more blaming the patient for causing the cancer, and the patient using more behavioral disengagement coping. Relationship satisfaction moderated the association between each partner's distress. Conclusions Psychosocial counseling for lung cancer patients should include spouses and target decreasing individual distress and enhancing relationship satisfaction.

Psychological distress in patients and caregivers over the course of radiotherapy for head and neck Cancer

“…Toward that end, he/she may actively manage his/her own distress knowing that it is in the best interest of his/her own well-being as well as the well-being of his/her partner. This may explain why the vast majority of studies in cancer have found that even though high rates of distress exist for cancer patients and their spousal caregivers, the correlation between their distress levels is only low to moderate at best [36, 37]. An alternate explanation is that patients and caregivers cited different stressors as being the cause of their distress on the NCCN distress thermometer problem list and it is possible that these stressors come up at different times over the course of RT.…”

Pain Catastrophizing, Pain Intensity, and Dyadic Adjustment Influence Patient and Partner Depression in Metastatic Breast Cancer

“…Likewise, in the context of a satisfactory relationship, partners may simply explain away the patient's catastrophizing, and as such, catastrophizing may not have the expected effect of exacerbating their depression. Although partial support for this idea comes from a recent study of lung cancer patients and their spouses that found that dyadic adjustment buffered partners from the effects of patient distress on their own distress [37], more research is needed to understand the possible role that dyadic adjustment plays in the context of pain catastrophizing.…”

A longitudinal analysis of intimacy processes and psychological distress among couples coping with head and neck or lung cancers

“…Spouses are also at risk. Over one-third of spouses of LC patients exhibit significant distress (Carmack Taylor et al, 2008; Kim et al, 2005) and lower levels of quality of life than the general population (Sarna et al, 2006). Few studies have examined distress among the spouses of HNC patients; however, the prevalence of clinically significant levels of anxiety among spouses may be as high as 40% (Vickery et al, 2003).…”

“…For example, qualitative research has suggested a detrimental impact of LC on the marital relationship (Lindau et al, 2010), whereas quantitative studies have shown that only a subset of patients (7.7–16.4%) and spouses (14–16.4%) experience distressed relationships (Badr & Taylor, 2008; Carmack Taylor et al, 2008). Likewise, very little is known about the marital impact of HNC.…”