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Psychosocial Interventions for Couples Coping with Cancer: A Systematic Review

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Psychological Aspects of Cancer

Abstract

This chapter systematically reviews the efficacy of existing psychosocial interventions in cancer involving couples on patients’ and their partners’ quality of life (QOL). We conducted a systematic review of randomized controlled studies of psychosocial interventions conducted with cancer patients and their partners published between 1980 and 2011 that were aimed at improving the patient’s and/or the partner’s QOL. Using bibliographic software and manual review, two independent raters reviewed 744 articles and identified 19 articles for inclusion. Owing to the varied or sometimes absent theoretical basis, the varied intervention approaches used, and the diversity in outcomes reported, it is difficult to discern a clear pattern of results. Studies that were aimed at improving communication, reciprocal understanding, and intimacy appeared effective in reducing distress and improving relationship functioning in one or both partners. However, such interventions appear to benefit only a subset of couples—particularly those who have poorer functioning relationships, greater cancer-related distress, or poor communication skills at the outset. Questions also remain regarding at what point in the illness and treatment trajectory couples’ interventions should be delivered, and how long they should continue. Two areas that appear to be fruitful for future intervention include expanding choice of outcomes to include health behaviors and designing sexual interventions that include both patients and their partners. More research is also needed to determine whether intervention modality affects intervention efficacy and whether technologically based interventions are easier to disseminate and are cost-effective.

This research was supported by a career development award from the National Cancer Institute K07CA124668 (Hoda Badr, Ph.D., Principal Investigator) and a pilot project grant awarded to Dr. Badr under P30 AG028741 (Albert Siu, M.D., Principal Investigator). Dr. Milbury’s work was supported by American Cancer Society postdoctoral award PF-10-013-01-CPPB.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Oncological Sciences, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY, 10029, USA

    Hoda Badr Ph.D. & Marisol Temech B.A

  2. Department of Behavioral Science, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA

    Cindy L. Carmack Ph.D. & Kathrin Milbury Ph.D.

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  1. Hoda Badr Ph.D.
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  2. Cindy L. Carmack Ph.D.
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  3. Kathrin Milbury Ph.D.
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  4. Marisol Temech B.A
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Correspondence to Hoda Badr Ph.D. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, S. 10th Street 233, Philadelphia, 19107, Pennsylvania, USA

    Brian I. Carr

  2. STARZL TRANSPLAN INST, University of Pittsburgh, 5TH AVE 7 MONTEFIORE 3459, PITTSBURGH, 15213, Pennsylvania, USA

    JENNIFER STEEL

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Badr, H., Carmack, C.L., Milbury, K., Temech, M. (2013). Psychosocial Interventions for Couples Coping with Cancer: A Systematic Review. In: Carr, B., STEEL, J. (eds) Psychological Aspects of Cancer. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-4866-2_11

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