Dyadic Coping in Couples With Breast Cancer in China

Dyadic coping may play an important role in promoting marital adjustment in couples with breast cancer. However, few studies have explored dyadic coping and its predictors in couples with breast cancer.

To assess the dyadic coping level of Chinese couples with breast cancer and identify its predictors and explore the actor and partner effects of marital adjustment on dyadic coping.

Chinese couples (n = 114) with breast cancer participated in a cross-sectional study and completed the general information questionnaire, the Dyadic Coping Inventory, the Locke-Wallace Marital Adjustment Test, and the Body Image Scale.

Total scores of the Dyadic Coping Inventory were 114.09 (SD, 18.49) and 114.62 (SD, 17.42) for the patients and partners, respectively. Relationship duration, monthly family income, postoperative time, adjuvant treatments, marital adjustment, body image, and dyadic coping style of the partners predicted dyadic coping among patients with breast cancer. In addition, marital adjustment exhibited both actor and partner effects on dyadic coping in the couples.

Dyadic coping in couples with breast cancer in China was in the reference range. Psychosocial characteristics, marital adjustment, and body image should be considered and evaluated when conducting interventions for couples with breast cancer.

When conducting interventions for couples with breast cancer, nurses should identify couples who are likely to adopt negative dyadic coping styles and then conduct targeted interventions that consider psychosocial characteristics, marital adjustment, and body image in couples with breast cancer.