科研之友
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摘要
Each year, thousands of men are confronted with adjusting to the challenges presented when their partners are diagnosed with breast cancer. The months after completion of medical treatment may be unexpectedly difficult as a result of unrealistic expectations about a rapid return to life before cancer, especially for men who feel unprepared for their partners' transition from active treatment. We tested the hypotheses that men would report improved adjustment during this transition period, with men who felt well-prepared reporting better adjustment throughout. Participants were 164 male partners of women who had recently completed treatment for localized breast cancer and who had participated in the Moving Beyond Cancer clinical trial. Men completed questionnaires that assessed quality of life, mood, and cancer-related stress at approximately four and eight months after their partners finished primary treatment. In general, perceived preparedness interacted with time such that men who felt less well-prepared improved significantly over time whereas men who reported high preparedness experienced high levels of adjustment at both time points. Intrusive thoughts about cancer at the initial time point mediated the association between perceived preparedness and subsequent negative affect. These findings suggest that the patient's reentry period after treatment for breast cancer is a time of active adjustment for men who do not feel well-prepared for the challenges of this transition.
- 出版日期2012-10
