Browsing by Subject "Spouses"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
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    Breast cancer survivors’ perceptions of their partners’ interest in cancer-focused psychosocial interventions
    (LWW, 2021) Cohee, Andrea A.; Krueger, Ellen F.; Vachon, Eric A.; Cottingham, Ann H.; Stutz, Patrick V.; Alwine, Jennifer S.; Johns, Shelley A.
    Background: Despite that partners of breast cancer survivors (BCS) often experience long-term consequences from the cancer experience, including fear of recurrence and depression, there are rarely psychosocial interventions aimed at mitigating these consequences. Because partners are usually recruited to research studies through BCS, it is important to understand the views of BCS regarding their partners’ involvement in interventions. The aim of this study was to explore perceptions of BCS regarding the advisability of offering a psychosocial intervention to their partners. Methods: BCS (N = 22) enrolled in 1 of 3 interventions (acceptance and commitment therapy [ACT], survivorship education [SE], or enhanced usual care [EUC]) were queried about whether they believed their partner would be interested in a psychosocial intervention similar to what they had just completed and asked to provide their opinions about how a partner intervention should be structured and what it should address. Twenty-two BCS (ACT group [n = 5], SE [n = 11], and EUC [n = 6]) completed the interviews. Results: The participants identified 3 unmet partner needs that they thought could be addressed by a psychosocial intervention: problems with coping, communication breakdowns, and lack of information. They also provided 3 recommendations regarding the development of a partner intervention: the use of a group format, the provision of separate sessions for partners and BCS, and the inclusion of intervention components that provide practical or factual information related to breast cancer. Conclusions: BCS can provide valuable insights that can inform the development of psychosocial interventions for partners of survivors. The development of such partner interventions is critical to address the negative and often hidden health and social effects experienced by partners of BCS.
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    Depression in Husbands of Breast Cancer Patients: Relationships to Coping and Social Support
    (Springer, 2011) Bigatti, Silvia M.; Wagner, Christina D.; Lydon, Jennifer R.; Steiner, Jennifer L.; Miller, Kathy D.
    PURPOSE: The purpose of the present study was to examine depression in husbands of women with breast cancer, as depression is typically as high in husbands as in patients, and impacts functioning in both. METHODS: We compared husbands of patients to husbands of women without chronic illness on depressive symptoms with the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, social support with the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List, and coping with the Ways of Coping Questionnaire. Using the stress and coping model, we examined whether coping mediated social support and depression differently by group, as has been found in the literature. RESULTS: Husbands of patients reported higher scores on the measure of depression and lower use of problem-focused coping, while groups reported equivalent social support. Escape-avoidance coping emerged as a full mediator between social support and depression in husbands of patients, but only a partial mediator in comparison husbands. Accepting responsibility coping partially mediated social support and depression in both groups. Low social support appears particularly detrimental in husbands of patients as it is associated with ineffective coping and depression. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that among husbands of patients, social support relates to depression only through its relationship with coping, indicating healthcare providers should direct attention and intervention to the coping strategies employed by husbands with low social support.
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    Depressive rumination and cognitive processes associated with depression in breast cancer patients and their spouses
    (Families, Systems, & Health Journal, 2014) Steiner, Jennifer L.; Wagner, Christina D.; Bigatti, Silvia M.; Storniolo, Anna Maria
    Depression is common among patients with breast cancer (BC) and their spouses. The diagnosis of BC often results in negative cognitive processes, such as appraisals of harm/loss, intrusive thoughts, and depressive rumination, all of which contribute to the occurrence of depression in both the patient and spouse. The present research is a cross-sectional exploration of the mediating role of depressive rumination in the relationships of intrusive thoughts and appraisal of harm/loss with depression, in a sample of 56 BC patients and their partners. We hypothesized that depressive rumination would mediate the relationships between cognitive processes and depression in both BC patient and their partners. Participants completed self-report measures of depressive symptoms, depressive rumination, cognitive appraisals, and intrusive thoughts. Path analyses using hierarchical linear regression were conducted to assess the relationships among variables. Results indicated that for BC patients, harm/loss appraisals and intrusive thoughts had direct effects on depression; only harm/loss appraisals had indirect effects through depressive rumination. For partners, both harm/loss appraisal and intrusive thoughts had direct effects on depression, and both had indirect effects through depressive rumination. Dyadic analysis showed no relation of partner cognitive variables with patient depression or patient cognitive variables with partner depression. Findings show that the perseverative practice of dwelling on these negative thoughts of loss and harm relates to depressive symptoms. Rumination may act as 1 possible mechanism by which intrusive thoughts and harm/loss appraisals lead to depressive symptoms.
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    Quality of Life in Partners of Young and Old Breast Cancer Survivors
    (Wolters Kluwer, 2018-11) Cohee, Andrea A.; Bigatti, Silvia M.; Shields, Cleveland G.; Johns, Shelley A.; Stump, Timothy; Monahan, Patrick O.; Champion, Victoria L.; School of Nursing
    Background: Partners of breast cancer survivors experience the effects of a spouse's cancer years after treatment. Partners of younger survivors (YP) may experience greater problems than partners of older survivors (OP), just as younger survivors experience greater problems than their older counterparts. Objectives: To 1) compare quality of life (QoL) in YP and OP, and 2) determine contributing factors to each group's QoL. Methods: Cross-sectional data were collected from YP (n=227) and OP (n=281) through self-report. MANOVA was used to determine differences between YP and OP on QoL while controlling for covariates. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to determine what contributes to each group's QoL. Results: YP reported better physical function (effect size (ES)= -0.57), lower marital satisfaction (ES=0.39), and lower overall QoL (ES=0.43) than partners of older survivors. Predictors of QoL also differed between partner groups. For YP, overall QoL was predicted by greater physical functioning, fewer depressive symptoms, higher marital satisfaction, higher parenting satisfaction, and more personal resources. R2= .47; F(5, 195)= 35.05; p<.001. For OP, overall QoL was predicted by fewer depressive symptoms, higher parenting satisfaction, higher spirituality, and greater social support from the breast cancer survivor spouse. R2= .33; F(4, 244)= 29.80; p<.001. Conclusions: OP reported greater QoL than YP. Common factors contributing to QoL between YP and OP were fewer depressive symptoms and higher parenting satisfaction. Implications for Practice: Partners of breast cancer survivors may need support coping with their spouse’s/partner’s cancer. Partners of younger survivors may require more support than partners of older survivors.