Parenting and Family Concerns of Couples Navigating Advanced Breast Cancer: Exploring Discussions Around Parenting...

Parents with advanced cancer and their partners are more likely to experience psychological distress than their counterparts without minor children. Greater relationship functioning may support parents in distress.

The current study seeks to explore couples' cancer-related parenting communication behaviors, perception and their associations with psychological and relational wellbeing.

Women diagnosed with an advanced breast cancer (Stage III-IV) and their partners (n = 46 dyads) parenting a minor child reported psychological symptoms (CES-D, GAD-7), relational wellbeing (DAS-7) and cancer-related parenting concerns (PCQ, patient only). As part of an observational task, couples completed a Family Concern Inventory (FCI) to identify cancer-related family concerns. Then, each member selected one concern to discuss. Immediately after the discussion, participants rated their perception of the discussion and their state positive and negative affect.

Parents (mean age = 43.4 years, 56% non-Hispanic White, two female couples) endorsed high psychological distress, with patients reporting greater family concerns than partners (t = 3.80, p < 0.001). Both members of the couple indicated high levels of self-disclosure and felt validated and accepted by their partners during the discussion. Yet, patients rated the discussion as more helpful than partners (t = 2.3, p = 0.03). There was a small reduction in positive affect following discussion for partners only. However, the more partners disclosed their emotions, the greater their post-discussion positive affect (r = 0.50, p < 0.001).

Couples' ability to openly communicate around cancer-related parenting concerns is associated with aspects of psychological adjustment. Findings identify targets and underscore importance of flexibility for future interventions.