Couple communication quality and family resilience among Chinese gynecologic cancer patients and their spouses: a dyadic study

Relationship between family resilience and dyadic coping in colorectal cancer patients and their spouses, based on the actor-partner interdependence model

PURPOSE

To explore the relationship between dyadic coping and family resistance in colorectal cancer patients and their spouses.

METHODS

178 pairs of colorectal cancer patients and their spouses hospitalized in a three tertiary hospital in Changsha were selected from July 2021 to March 2022. The Family Resilience Assessment Scale and the Dyadic Coping Inventory were used to investigate, which relationship was analyzed by APIM.

RESULTS

The total score of patients' dyadic coping was 121.51 ± 16.8, and spouses' score was 123.72 ± 16.6. The total score of family resilience was 176.42 ± 16.0, and spouses' score was 182.72 ± 17.03. There was a significant positive relationship between dyadic coping and family resistance of colorectal cancer patients and their spouses (r > 0.7, P < 0.001). The positive dyadic coping of colorectal cancer patients and their spouses had a positive effect on their own and their spouses' family resilience and the effect was the same. The negative dyadic coping of colorectal cancer patients and their spouses had a negative impact on their own family resilience, and the overall model showed a subject pattern.

CONCLUSIONS

The level of family resilience of colorectal cancer patients and their spouses was affected by the level of dyadic coping. Medical workers should regard patients and their spouses as a whole and formulate mutually supportive coping strategies with family as the center, so as to increase positive coping behavior and enhance their family's ability to cope with cancer.

Dyadic coping, resilience, and quality of life in young and middle-aged couples after gynecologic cancer: An actor-partner interdependence mediation model

PURPOSE

To examine the effects of dyadic coping on quality of life (QoL) and the mediating role of resilience in these effects among young and middle-aged couples after gynecologic cancer (GC).

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted between July 2022 and June 2023 from one tertiary hospital in Wuhan, China. 240 pairs of young and middle-aged GC couples were recruited. The demographic and clinical characteristics questionnaire, the Dyadic Coping Inventory, the 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and the 12-item Short-Form Health Survey were used to collect data. The process of dyadic analysis was based on the actor-partner interdependence mediation model.

RESULTS

GC patients' dyadic coping had an actor effect on both their own physical and mental QoL, while spouses' dyadic coping only exerted an actor effect on their own mental QoL. The mediating effects of resilience on the relationship between dyadic coping and QoL were identified in dyads. Moreover, spouses' dyadic coping could indirectly influence patients' QoL through their own and patients' resilience.

CONCLUSION

The findings confirm the dyadic relationships between dyadic coping, resilience, and QoL among young and middle-aged couples facing GC. These results suggest that it is necessary to develop couple-based interventions to improve dyadic coping and resilience, thus enhancing the QoL of both members.

The experiences of family resilience in patients with permanent colostomy and their spouses: A dyadic qualitative study

PURPOSE

With the prolonged survival time of patients with permanent colostomy for colorectal cancer, they and their spouses face tremendous pressure and development dilemmas that can easily lead to family adaptation crises. This qualitative study amid to explore the dyadic experiences of family resilience among Chinese patients with permanent colostomy and their spouses.

METHODS

A phenomenological research method was adopted. Semi-structured, in-depth, face-to-face interviews with 10 dyads of patients with permanent colostomy and their spouses were recruited through purposive sampling from a public tertiary hospital in China from March 2023 to July 2023.The Dyadic interview analysis and Colaizzi methods were used to analyze the interview data.

RESULTS

Three themes and nine subthemes were developed. (1) family crisis and dichotomous coping with stress-family crisis and coping pressure caused by enterostomy; (2) Adjustment and adaptation within the family-Joint adjustment and adaptation within the couple's family; and (3) integration and utilization of multi-dimensional social external resources (micro-level, meso-level, and macro-level).

CONCLUSIONS

Couples living with permanent colostomy often undergo a complex emotional journey, experiencing varied levels of individual stress as they navigate social interactions and daily activities, which can contribute to a decline in family adaptation. With the help of the perspective of family advantage, health practitioners should pay attention to the evaluation of individual factors and family environmental resources, to fully mobilize advantage resources and give effective interventions to improve the family and social adaptation level of patients and their spouses.

Factors influencing family resilience in adult patients with acute leukemia undergoing chemotherapy: A qualitative study

Objective

To explore the factors influencing family resilience in adult patients with acute leukemia undergoing chemotherapy, with the aim of providing a theoretical basis for the development of strategies to strengthen their family resilience.

Methods

A descriptive phenomenological qualitative research method was used to select 11 adult acute leukemia chemotherapy patients for semi-structured interviews. Colaizzi 7-step analysis and NVivo 12.0 were used to summarize information and refine themes.

Results

The main outcomes consisted of two themes and 11 sub-themes: protective factors for family resilience (positive traits, cognitive restructuring, positive family beliefs, organizational flexibility, clear communication, and social support) and risk factors for family resilience (symptom burden, self-concealment, role overload, economic distress, and social alienation).

Conclusions

Health care professionals should pay attention to screening protective and risk factors for family resilience in adult acute leukemia chemotherapy patients, affirming the positive role of internal and external resources available in the family in stressful situations, alleviating patients' negative experiences, and promoting the recovery of family function.

A latent class analysis of family resilience and its relationship with fear of recurrence in lung cancer patients: a cross-sectional study

PURPOSE

Family resilience helps cancer-affected families overcome challenges and may influence an individual's fear of cancer recurrence (FCR). Identifying distinct classes of family resilience among lung cancer patients is crucial for tailored interventions. This study aimed to identify latent classes of family resilience in lung cancer patients and explore their relationships with FCR.

METHODS

Three hundred ten lung cancer patients from three hospitals in Fujian were recruited from June to September 2021. Clinical data were extracted from medical records, while sociodemographic details, family resilience, and FCR were self-reported. A latent class analysis was performed to identify family resilience classes.

RESULTS

A 4-class solution showed the best fit. Compared to Class 1, the patients who had no comorbidities (ORs = 3.480-16.005) had an increased likelihood of belonging to Class 2 and 3, while those who were not family breadwinners (ORs = 0.118-0.176) had a decreased likelihood. Further, the patients who (1) did not lack interest/pleasure in doing things during the past 2-week period (OR = 7.057), (2) were never smokers (OR = 6.230), and (3) were urban residents (OR = 8.985) had an increased likelihood of belonging to Class 4, while those who were (1) male (OR = 0.167), (2) not the family breadwinner (OR = 0.152), and (3) had none or only one child (OR = 0.203) had a decreased likelihood of belonging to Class 4. The FCR level differed significantly among these four classes.

CONCLUSION

Our study identified four distinct classes of family resilience among Chinese lung cancer patients. FCR severity decreased with increasing levels of family resilience.

Associations between dyadic communication and dyadic coping of patients with cervical cancer and their spouses: a study utilizing the actor-partner interdependence model

There is a growing focus on exploring dyadic interactions and outcomes between couples undergoing cervical cancer (CC). The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to figure out how dyadic communication influences both CC patients' and spouses' coping abilities. A sample of 286 CC dyads completed questionnaires assessing dyadic communication and dyadic coping. The actor-partner interdependence model was used to analyze the interaction effect between the dyads. Dyadic communication among cervical cancer (CC) patients has a predictive effect on their own negative dyadic coping (β =  - 0.141, P = 0.034) and on their spouses' delegated dyadic coping (β = 0.133, P = 0.044). In contrast, dyadic communication among CC spouses is negatively associated with their own supportive dyadic coping (β =  - 0.237, P < 0.001), delegated dyadic coping (β =  - 0.156, P = 0.018), common dyadic coping (β =  - 0.148, P = 0.026) and also with CC patients' supportive dyadic coping (β =  - 0.153, P = 0.022). Dyadic communication between CC patients and their spouses affect their own and each other's dyadic coping. Exploring interventions focused on the CC couples' communication strategies to enhance their positive dyadic coping should be considered.

Are couple-based psychological interventions beneficial for the mental health of prostate cancer patients and their spouses? A systematic review and meta-analysis

As the survival rates for prostate cancer (PCa) have improved, there has been an increasing focus on the mental health of couples affected by this condition. There have been several couple-based psychological interventions, and yet the impact of this treatment modality on the mental health of PCa patients and their spouses is unclear. Consequently, a systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, LILACS, and Web of Science up to March 2023 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) addressing the impacts of couple-based psychological interventions on both PCa patients and their spouses. Besides, the Cochrane Risk of Bias Assessment Tool was employed to evaluate the methodological quality and potential bias of the included studies. Moreover, statistical analysis and meta-analysis were performed utilizing Revman 5.4, and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) was employed to assess the certainty of evidence. A total of nine RCTs were included, utilizing anxiety, depression, distress, communication, and self-efficacy as outcome indicators to assess mental health. Results demonstrated that couple-based psychological interventions increased spouses' self-efficacy (WMD, 0.21; 95% CI: -0.00 ~ 0.42; P = 0.05) and communication (SMD, 0.34; 95% CI: 0.09 ~ 0.59; P = 0.009), while reducing their distress (SMD, -0.21; 95% CI: -0.40 ~ -0.02; P = 0.03). Nonetheless, there is a need for additional research on the effect of couple-based psychological interventions on the mental health of PCa-affected couples given the limited evidence supporting this conclusion.

Family resilience in cancer treatment and key influencing factors: A systematic review

OBJECTIVE

To identify the status quo and key influencing factors of family resilience in cancer treatment.

METHODS

Eight electronic databases (PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, CNKI, Wan Fang Database, VIP Database) were searched from 2000 to 10 May 2023. Inclusion criteria were the following: (a) study subjects were cancer patients or their family caregivers, (b) family resilience was measured as a variable, (c) reported factors associated with family resilience, (d) employed either quantitative or mixed methods design, (e) written in English or Chinese, (f) published in peer-reviewed journals. All included studies were evaluated for quality using the Mixed Method Appraisal Tool.

RESULTS

Thirty studies were included in the systematic review. According to our analysis, the family resilience of cancer patients could be influenced by various factors associated with six clusters: (a) demographic characteristics, (b) severe staging and treatment of cancer, (c) psychological and health statuses, (d) family, and (e) social environment. Meanwhile, several specific protective factors and risk factors of family resilience were also identified.

CONCLUSION

Family resilience plays an important role in promoting positive adaptation in the face of adversity in families of cancer patients/caregivers. This study classifies related influencing factors by analyzing both protective factors and risk factors (and some controversial factors of family resilience). We found that longitudinal studies are needed to further verify the dynamic changes of family resilience, and future research should focus on understanding family resilience from the dual perspectives of cancer patients and their caregivers, to provide comprehensive information for health professionals, and facilitate the development of effective family resilience intervention programs.