Systemic aspects of conjugal resilience in couples with a child facing cancer and marrow transplantation.
BACKGROUND
The negative impact of paediatric cancer on parents is well known and is even greater when intensive treatments are used. This study aimed to describe how couples whose child has received a transplant for the treatment of leukaemia view conjugal resilience and to evaluate the role of we-ness as a precursor of conjugal adjustment.


METHODS
Four parental couples were interviewed. Interviews were analysed in two ways: inductive thematic analysis and rating of verbal content with theWe-ness Coding Scale.


RESULTS
Participants report that conjugal resilience involves the identification of the couple as a team and cohesion in the couple. Being a team generates certain collaborative interactions that lead to conjugal resilience. A sense of we-ness in parents is associated with fluctuation in the frequency of themes.


CONCLUSIONS
Participants' vision of conjugal resilience introduced novel themes. The sense of we-ness facilitates cohesion and the process of conjugal resilience.
Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, CHU Sainte-Justine, Montréal, Canada; julie.martin.6@umontreal.ca.
Julie
J
Martin
Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada.
Katherine
K
Péloquin
CHU Sainte-Justine, Montréal, Canada.
Marie-France
MF
Vachon
Department of Paediatrics, Université de Montréal, CHU Sainte-Justine, Montréal, Canada.
Michel
M
Duval
Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, CHU Sainte-Justine, Montréal, Canada.
Serge
S
Sultan
Paediatric cancer; parents; resilience; systemic-constructivist couple therapy; we-ness
Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev. 2011 Mar;14(1):57-88
21221783
Child Dev. 2002 Nov-Dec;73(6):1830-43
12487497
Psychotherapy (Chic). 2008 Dec;45(4):477-90
22122535
Eur J Cancer Care (Engl). 2016 Jul;25(4):616-37
26354003
Dev Psychol. 2007 Jul;43(4):1019-31
17605532
Genet Soc Gen Psychol Monogr. 2006 Aug;132(3):241-84
17970000
J Nurs Scholarsh. 2010 Sep 1;42(3):250-61
20738735
J Consult Clin Psychol. 1991 Jun;59(3):458-63
2071731
Bone Marrow Transplant. 2002 Jul;30(1):35-9
12105775
Psychooncology. 2004 Jun;13(6):390-407
15188446
Patient Educ Couns. 1998 Jul;34(3):185-200
9791523