Background
Conceptualisations of adjustment to cancer
Current evidence about interventions to promote adjustment
Psycho-educational interventions
Cognitive behavioural therapy -based interventions
Interventions directed towards partners
Method
Inclusion criteria
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· Evaluated a psychosocial intervention (psychological, behavioural, or educational) for people with cancer AND their partners.
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Used an experimental or quasi-experimental design
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Were published between January 1990 and May 2010. [NB: This period was chosen as the majority of couple-based interventions began to emerge around this time.]
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Targeted individuals diagnosed with cancer (any type and any stage along the illness trajectory).
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Were published in English or French [languages spoken by the authors].
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Included depression, anxiety, distress, or QoL as an outcome measure.
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Studies were excluded if:
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They compared interventions that were relatively similar in their focus.
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Pharmacological, exercise, or dietary elements were the central component of the intervention, with psychosocial elements being secondary (in order to delineate the efficacy of the psychosocial component).
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They focused specifically on sexuality and sexual functioning as outcome measures. While related to psychological distress, these were deemed to be a separate consideration worthy of more specific attention.
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They did not report patient and partner outcomes separately.
Literature search
Data extraction
Methodological criteria
Results
Characteristics of couple-based interventions
Classification of interventions
Delivery of interventions
Characteristics of participants in couples-based interventions
Patients | Partners | |
---|---|---|
Mean, SD, Age (years)
| 54.48 (6.12) | 53.37 (4.34) |
Gender, % female
| 73.71 | 55.77 |
Ethnicity, %
| ||
Caucasian
| 81.90 | 84.98 |
African-American
| 10.15 | 5.34 |
Hispanic
| 2.92 | 2.79 |
Asian
| 1.33 | 1.40 |
Other
| 3.71 | 5.25 |
Cancer Site, %
| ||
Breast
| 48.67 | |
Prostate
| 22.76 | |
Gynaecological
| 1.95 | |
Lung
| 9.83 | |
Head & Neck
| 0.45 | |
Leukaemia
| 1.20 | |
Non-Hodgkins
| 0.15 | |
Hodgkins
| 0.11 | |
Gastrointestinal
| 10.93 | |
Brain
| 0.30 | |
Other
| 3.64 | |
Cancer Stage, %
| ||
Stage I
| 27.72 | |
Stage II
| 25.91 | |
Stage III
| 21.18 | |
Stage IV
| 25.19 | |
Partner Relationship, %
| ||
Spouse
| 85.85 | |
Family Member
| 10.32 | |
Friend
| 3.83 | |
Education, %
| ||
High School or less
| 31.23 | 36.43 |
Some university/University graduate
| 68.77 | 63.57 |
Some university/University graduate
| 68.77 | 63.57 |