Does talking about their relationship affect couples' marital and psychological adjustment to lung cancer?

Relationship talk refers to talking with a partner about the relationship, what one needs from one's partner, and/or the relationship implications of a shared stressor. This prospective study examined the effects of relationship talk on couples' psychosocial adaptation to lung cancer.

A total of 169 patients (63% male) and 167 of their partners completed a series of questionnaires within 4-weeks of treatment initiation for newly diagnosed lung cancer (baseline). Follow-up questionnaires were administered 3 and 6 months later.

Multilevel models using the couple as the unit of analysis showed that patients and partners who reported more frequent relationship talk had less distress (effect size r = 0.16) and greater marital adjustment over time (effect size r = 0.21), regardless of gender. Satisfaction with the frequency of relationship talk was associated with lower baseline distress for patients and partners (effect size r = 0.25). However, over time, greater communication regarding the relationship was related to less distress in the partner (effect size r = 0.15) than in the cancer patient.

Expanding the study of spousal communication in cancer beyond patient cancer-related disclosures to include the effects of talking about the spousal relationship may help clarify the role of relationship processes in couples' psychosocial adaptation. Patients and partners who begin talking about the relationship implications of lung cancer early on in their cancer experience may be better able to prepare together for the challenges they may face as cancer progresses and the patient moves toward the end-of-life.

Results of this study underscore the need for couple-focused interventions in lung cancer that address the communication and relationship needs of both partners. Working with couples during the initial diagnosis and treatment period and emphasizing the benefits of discussing relationship issues during this time of major upheaval may facilitate couples' successful adaptation to lung cancer.