title: Adjustment to Acute Leukemia: The Impact of Social Support and Marital Satisfaction on Distress and Quality of Life Among Newly Diagnosed Patients and Their Caregivers.
abstract: Little is known about the specific patterns of adjustment among newly diagnosed acute leukemia patients and their caregivers. This study examined the trajectories of patient and caregiver distress over time as well as the extent to which marital satisfaction and social support moderated these trajectories among those with significant-other caregivers. Forty six patient-caregiver dyads provided ratings at four time points: within 1 week of diagnosis (T1), 2 week follow-up (T2), 6 week follow-up (T3) and 12 week follow-up (T4). As anticipated, patients and caregivers reported higher levels of distress around the time of diagnosis than they did during subsequent time points. Marital satisfaction was a significant predictor of distress among patients, whereas among caregivers, social support predicted distress and quality of life. Results support the inclusion of relational variables such as social support and relationship satisfaction in the assessment of newly diagnosed patients and families in order to best identify those at risk for distress over time.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychosocial Oncology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Elm & Carlton Sts, Buffalo, NY, 14263, USA. Megan.Pailler@roswellpark.org.
authors.forename: Megan E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Pailler
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychosocial Oncology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Elm & Carlton Sts, Buffalo, NY, 14263, USA.
authors.forename: Teresa M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kuszczak
authors.affiliation: State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Kristopher M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Attwood
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Behavior, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Zevon
authors.affiliation: Leukemia Section, Department of Medicine, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Griffiths
authors.affiliation: Leukemia Section, Department of Medicine, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, USA.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.affiliation: Leukemia Section, Department of Medicine, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Eunice S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Leukemia Section, Department of Medicine, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Meir
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wetzler
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D017028:Caregivers; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011788:Quality of Life; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological
keywords: Distress; Leukemia; Marital satisfaction; Psychosocial oncology; Social support