title: Intimacy-enhancing psychological intervention for men diagnosed with prostate cancer and their partners: a pilot study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Few couple-focused interventions have been developed to improve distress and relationship outcomes among men diagnosed with localized prostate cancer and their partners.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We examined the effects of a five-session Intimacy-Enhancing Therapy (IET) vs. Usual Care (UC) on the psychological and relationship functioning of men diagnosed with localized prostate cancer and their partners. Pre-intervention levels of psychological and relationship functioning were evaluated as moderators of intervention effects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-one survivors and their partners completed a baseline survey and were subsequently randomly assigned to receive five sessions of IET or UC (no treatment). Eight weeks after the baseline assessment, a follow-up survey was administered to survivor and partner.
  
  
  METHODS
  Distress, well-being, relationship satisfaction, relationship intimacy, and communication were investigated as the main outcomes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  IET effects were largely moderated by pre-intervention psychosocial and relationship factors. Those survivors who had higher levels of cancer concerns at pretreatment had significantly reduced concerns following IET. Similar moderating effects for pre-intervention levels were reported for the effects of IET on self-disclosure, perceived partner disclosure, and perceived partner responsiveness. Among partners beginning the intervention with higher cancer-specific distress, lower marital satisfaction, lower intimacy, and poorer communication, IET improved these outcomes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  IET had a marginally significant main effect upon survivor well-being but was effective among couples with fewer personal and relationship resources. Subsequent research is needed to replicate these findings with a larger sample and a longer follow-up.
authors.affiliation: University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School-The Cancer Institute of New Jersey Section of Population Studies, New Brunswick, NJ, USA. mannesl@umdnj.edu
authors.forename: Sharon L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Manne
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Kissane
authors.forename: Christian J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.forename: John P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Mulhall
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Winkel
authors.forename: Talia
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zaider
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D054526:Men's Health; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D011594:Psychometrics; D011613:Psychotherapy; D012747:Sexual Partners; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology; D014481:United States