Couples' experiences of spousal caregiving for women with breast cancer: a frame analysis

Caring for women diagnosed with breast cancer at a younger age (aged 50 or below) presents significant challenges for their male spouses, particularly in the psychosocial aspects of caregiving. Literature has identified a substantial discrepancy between caregivers' assessments of the care they provide and patients' perceptions of the support they receive. However, such disparity may arise from the different ways patients and their spouses appraise the caregiving role. The different interpretive frameworks that patients and their spouses use to evaluate male spousal caregiving experiences warrant in-depth investigation. Drawing on Goffman's concept of frame, the purpose of this study was to explore the appraisal frames of women with breast cancer and their spouses regarding the experience of spousal caregiving.

Participants were recruited through convenience sampling from breast cancer foundations and outpatient clinics. Semi-structured interviews were conducted separately with 18 Taiwanese women with breast cancer and their spouses between January and June 2022. The method used for data analysis followed an inductive qualitative content analysis.

The findings revealed three frames for the women: recognizing my needs and being a teammate, acknowledging and respecting my personhood, and addressing mutual needs. For spouses, the identified frame involved gaining control over ancillary care.

The findings show that the interpretive frames of women with breast cancer are person-oriented, whereas that of their male spouses is task-oriented. The disparity between patients and their spouses in evaluating spousal caregiving experiences may be a reason for patients perceiving their needs to be unmet. Recognizing and reflecting on the other person's appraisal frames can facilitate dyadic coping.