Resilience in Chinese Spouses of Patients with Advanced Cancer: A Longitudinal Exploration

In China, spouses of patients with advanced cancer have reported experiencing psychological distress. However, little attention has been paid to the positive psychological health trajectories of these caregivers, particularly regarding their resilience and the factors influencing its development over time.

To examine the trajectories of resilience in Chinese spousal caregivers over a nine-month post-treatment period and to identify the basic characteristics associated with these trajectory patterns.

This was a longitudinal, observational study conducted in mainland Chinese between January 2022 and May 2024. A total of 306 spouses of patients receiving cancer treatment were recruited from five local hospitals. Data was collected in four waves: within one month of initial treatment, and then at three-, six-, and nine-month intervals post-treatment. Socio-demographic questionnaires, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and the Beliefs in Chinese Familism Scale were used to collect data. Growth mixture modeling was employed to determine the various trajectories of resilience, followed by logistic regression analysis to examine the associated factors to predict types of trajectories.

Growth mixture modeling showed two distinct trajectories of resilience were identified: an increased group (N = 78, 25.5%) and a stable group (N = 228, 74.5%). The increased group began with a low baseline level (intercept = 46.713) and showed a slight increase over time (slope = 7.505, p < 0.001), while the stable group had a moderate baseline level (intercept = 56.565) and remained stable over time (slope = 0.068, p > 0.05). Those in the stable group were more likely to be female, and to have achieved a middle school level of education, a lower family income, and greater Chinese familism at baseline than those in the increased group.

Our findings underscore the importance of tracking the trajectories of resilience and predictors of trajectory patterns among spouses caring for patients with advanced cancer within a specific cultural context. Healthcare providers should provide tailored interventions to enhance resilience in spousal caregivers, considering the trajectory patterns of mental health change.