title: Are Mindfulness and Self-Compassion Related to Psychological Distress and Communication in Couples Facing Lung Cancer? A Dyadic Approach.
abstract: Lung cancer patients and their spouses report high rates of distress. Due to the increasing popularity of and evidence for mindfulness-based interventions in cancer, mindfulness and self-compassion have been identified as potentially helpful skills when coping with cancer. This dyadic study examined how mindfulness and self-compassion are related to psychological distress and communication about cancer in couples facing lung cancer. Using the actor-partner interdependence model, self-reported mindfulness, self-compassion, psychological distress and communication about cancer were analyzed in a cross-sectional sample of 88 couples facing lung cancer. Regarding psychological distress, no difference was found between patients and spouses. In both partners, own levels of mindfulness (B= -0.19,p= .002) and self-compassion (B= -0.45,p< .001) were negatively related to own distress levels. At a dyadic level, own self-compassion was less strongly associated with distress if the partner reported high self-compassion (B= 0.03,p= .049). Regarding communication about cancer, patients reported to communicate more openly with their partner than with spouses. However, after controlling for gender, this difference was no longer significant. In both partners, own self-compassion (B= 0.03,p= .010) was significantly associated with own communication while mindfulness was not. A trend showed that mindfulness of the partner was related to more open communication in the individual (B= 0.01,p= .080). These findings give a first indication that mindfulness and self-compassion skills may go beyond the individual and could impact couple functioning. Future research should examine whether couples facing (lung) cancer may benefit from programs in which mindfulness and self-compassion are cultivated.
authors.affiliation: Radboud Centre for Mindfulness, Department of Psychiatry, Radboud University Medical Centre, Reinier Postlaan 4, P.O. Box 9101, 6500HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Melanie P J
authors.initials: MPJ
authors.lastname: Schellekens
authors.affiliation: Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Johan C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Karremans
authors.affiliation: Department of Lung Diseases, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Miep A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: van der Drift
authors.affiliation: Department of Lung Diseases, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Molema
authors.affiliation: Department of Lung Diseases, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Desiree G M
authors.initials: DGM
authors.lastname: van den Hurk
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Psychology, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Judith B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Prins
authors.affiliation: Radboud Centre for Mindfulness, Department of Psychiatry, Radboud University Medical Centre, Reinier Postlaan 4, P.O. Box 9101, 6500HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Anne E M
authors.initials: AEM
authors.lastname: Speckens
keywords: Actor-partner interdependence model; Lung cancer; Mindfulness; Partner communication; Psychological distress; Self-compassion