Lung cancer patients and their spouses: psychological and relationship functioning within 1 month of treatment initiation.
BACKGROUND
Lung cancer morbidity and mortality may increase the risk for distress in couples facing this malignancy.


OBJECTIVE
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.
Carmack Taylor
Cindy L
CL
Department of Behavioral Science Unit 1330, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, P.O. Box 301439, Houston, TX, 77230-1439, USA, ccarmack@mdanderson.org.
Badr
Hoda
H
Lee
Ji H
JH
Fossella
Frank
F
Pisters
Katherine
K
Gritz
Ellen R
ER
Schover
Leslie
L
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003376:Counseling; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012944:Social Support; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy
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