Langer Shelby L, Romano Joan M, Keefe Francis, Baucom Donald H, Strauman Timothy, Syrjala Karen L, Bolger Niall, Burns John, Bricker Jonathan B, Todd Michael, Baucom Brian R W, Fischer Melanie S, Ghosh Neeta, Gralow Julie, Shankaran Veena, Zafar S Yousuf, Westbrook Kelly, Leo Karena, Ramos Katherine, Weber Danielle M, Porter Laura S
Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ, United States.
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, United States.
Front Psychol. 2022 Feb 7;12:769407. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.769407. eCollection 2021.
Cancer and its treatment pose challenges that affect not only patients but also their significant others, including intimate partners. Accumulating evidence suggests that couples' ability to communicate effectively plays a major role in the psychological adjustment of both individuals and the quality of their relationship. Two key conceptual models have been proposed to account for how couple communication impacts psychological and relationship adjustment: the social-cognitive processing (SCP) model and the relationship intimacy (RI) model. These models posit different mechanisms and outcomes, and thus have different implications for intervention. The purpose of this project is to test and compare the utility of these models using comprehensive and methodologically rigorous methods. Aims are: (1) to examine the overall fit of the SCP and RI models in explaining patient and partner psychological and relationship adjustment as they occur on a day-to-day basis and over the course of 1 year; (2) to examine the fit of the models for different subgroups (males vs. females, and patients vs. partners); and (3) to examine the utility of various methods of assessing communication by examining the degree to which baseline indices from different measurement strategies predict self-reported adjustment at 1-year follow up. The study employs a longitudinal, multi-method approach to examining communication processes including: standard self-report questionnaires assessing process and outcome variables collected quarterly over the course of 1 year; smartphone-based ecological momentary assessments to sample participant reports in real time; and laboratory-based couple conversations from which we derive observational measures of communicative behavior and affective expression, as well as vocal indices of emotional arousal. Participants are patients with stage II-IV breast, colon, rectal, or lung cancer and their spouses/partners, recruited from two NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers. Results will be published in scientific journals, presented at scientific conferences, and conveyed to a larger audience through infographics and social media outlets. Findings will inform theory, measurement, and the design and implementation of efficacious interventions aimed at optimizing both patient and partner well-being.
癌症及其治疗带来了诸多挑战，这些挑战不仅影响患者，还会波及他们的重要他人，包括亲密伴侣。越来越多的证据表明，夫妻有效沟通的能力在双方的心理调适及其关系质量方面起着重要作用。人们提出了两种关键的概念模型来解释夫妻沟通如何影响心理和关系调适：社会认知加工（SCP）模型和关系亲密度（RI）模型。这些模型假定了不同的机制和结果，因此对干预也有不同的启示。本项目的目的是运用全面且方法严谨的方法来检验和比较这些模型的效用。目标如下：（1）检验SCP模型和RI模型在解释患者及其伴侣日常以及一年期间的心理和关系调适方面的整体拟合度；（2）检验模型对不同亚组（男性与女性、患者与伴侣）的拟合度；（3）通过考察不同测量策略的基线指标在1年随访时预测自我报告调适的程度，检验评估沟通的各种方法的效用。该研究采用纵向、多方法的途径来考察沟通流程，包括：通过标准的自我报告问卷评估在1年期间每季度收集的过程和结果变量；基于智能手机的生态瞬时评估，以实时采集参与者的报告；以及基于实验室的夫妻对话，从中我们得出沟通行为和情感表达的观察指标，以及情绪唤起的声音指标。参与者是从两个美国国立癌症研究所指定的综合癌症中心招募的II-IV期乳腺癌、结肠癌、直肠癌或肺癌患者及其配偶/伴侣。研究结果将发表在科学期刊上，在科学会议上展示，并通过信息图表和社交媒体向更广泛的受众传达。研究结果将为旨在优化患者及其伴侣幸福感的理论、测量以及有效干预措施的设计与实施提供依据。
