Caregiver and patient marital satisfaction and affect following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: a prospective, longitudinal investigation.
The process of stem cell transplantation (SCT) is both intra and inter dependent; like patients, spousal caregivers (CGs) are affected by the experience. Few empirical investigations have focused on the needs of CGs or dyadic differences over the course of adaptation-the foci of the present study. SCT recipients and spousal CGs (n=131 dyads) completed the Profile of Mood States (POMS) and the Dyadic Adjustment Scale at three time points: pre-transplant, 6 months post-transplant and 1 year post-transplant. A separate, non-medical group completed the POMS as a normative sample. CGs reported higher levels of depression and anxiety as compared to patients and non-medical norms. With respect to marital satisfaction, couples were matched in their perceptions of the relationship prior to transplantation but grew mismatched over time. Six months and 1 year post-transplant, CGs reported lower levels of marital satisfaction relative to their patient counterparts. Counter to prediction, change in CG marital satisfaction (from pre-transplant to 1 year post-transplant) was predicted only by CG gender, not patient physical, nor psychosocial characteristics. Findings offer implications for person-specific and relationship-protective interventions.
Langer
Shelby
S
Department of Biobehavioral Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98109-1024, USA. slanger@fhcrc.org
Abrams
Janet
J
Syrjala
Karen
K
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D014861:Washington