Dyadic coping, relationship quality, and psychosocial adaption between couples facing prostate cancer: A longitudinal...

To explore the associations among dyadic coping, close relationship, and psychosocial adaption in prostate cancer couples during the first six months after diagnosis.

Newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients and their spouses were recruited from a tertiary uro-oncology center in China. Participants were investigated with three surveys including Dyadic Coping Inventory, Marriage Adjustment Test, and Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale at diagnosis (T0), one month (T1), three months (T2), and six months (T3) after diagnosis.

A total of 243 couples were involved. Both patients and their spouses reported the lowest levels of dyadic coping and psychosocial adaptation at T1, followed by a gradual improvement through T3. Relationship quality declined until T2 and then partially recovered. Better dyadic coping and relationship quality in both partners were associated with better psychosocial adaptation across all time points (r = -0.13 to -0.38, all P < 0.01). However, higher psychosocial adaptation in spouses was associated with poorer adaptation in patients. Cross-lagged analyses revealed time-dependent partner effects, with spouses' dyadic coping showing consistent prospective associations with patients' psychosocial adaptation from T1 to T3 (β = -0.208 to -0.185, all P < 0.01), whereas patients' dyadic coping had weaker and later effects on spouses' adaptation (β = -0.046, P = 0.022). No significant longitudinal effects were observed between relationship quality and psychosocial adaptation.

Dyadic coping, relationship quality, and psychosocial adaptation are closely interrelated in couples coping with prostate cancer, with the first month after diagnosis representing a period of heightened psychological distress. Our findings underscore the complexity and time-sensitive nature of dyadic processes and underscore the importance of couple-level psychosocial support.