Mutual associations between patients' and partners' depression and quality of life with respect to relationship quality, physical complaints, and sense of coherence in couples coping with cancer

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this article is to examine the mutual associations between patients' and partners' depression and quality of life (QOL) in couples facing cancer with respect to potential resources (sense of coherence and relationship quality (RQ)) and stressors (physical complaints).

Patients and methods: Questionnaires rating depression, QOL, sense of coherence, RQ, and physical complaints were completed by 207 couples facing different cancer types and stages. Multiple regression models were used to assess the mutual associations between patient and partner variables.

Results: In female patients, 40.7% of the variance in depression score was explained by male partners' stressors and resources, whereas only 3.5% of the variance in male patients' depression was explained by female partners' stressors and resources. In male and female partners, respectively, the patients' stressors and resources explained 34.9% versus just 15.8% of the variance in depression. Regarding QOL in female patients, 30.1% of the variance was explained by the partners' stressors and resources, versus only 3.7% in male patients. Meanwhile, in male and female partners, respectively, the patients' stressors and resources explained 25.6% and 12.9% of the variance in QOL.

Conclusions: These findings support a couples-centered approach to psycho-oncological counseling and treatment. Particularly in depressed couples with low RQ, couples therapy or counseling should be considered because of the mutual adverse association between depression and QOL in these couples.

Keywords: cancer; couples; depression; oncology; quality of life.