Purpose: An observational study of 103 patients diagnosed with early and advanced prostate cancer and their partners from time of diagnosis to six months later was performed and the results have been submitted by the first author as a doctoral thesis.
Methods: Patients and partners were administered CIDI (for DSM-IV mood disorder diagnoses), Brief Symptom Inventory, Dyadic Adjustment Scale, Family Relationship Index, and partners were administered Ways of Coping Checklist.
Results: At time of diagnosis partners had higher levels of psychological distress than patients and rates of DSM-IV depression and anxiety twice that of the general female community. Over the six months, patients’ level of psychological distress increased significantly and partners’ level of marital satisfaction decreased significantly. Maladaptive coping of avoidance and blaming the self in partners at time of diagnosis predicted higher levels of partner distress six months later. No significant difference in psychological well-being was found comparing couples facing early and advanced cancer.
Conclusions: When confronted with the diagnosis of prostate cancer, early or advanced, it is the partners who initially demonstrate distress. Over time the patients become more distressed and the partners become more dissatisfied with their relationship. Maladaptive coping styles in partners predicted poorer psychological function later. A brief couple-focussed psychosocial intervention to address these issues and to prevent poor psychosocial outcomes for couples facing prostate cancer is proposed.
