Adjustment of patients and husbands to the initial impact of breast cancer

Abstract

This study compared the psychosocial adjustment of 50 newly diagnosed breast cancer patients and their husbands at two points in time. Time 1 interviews were conducted approximately 3 days after surgery; Time 2 interviews were conducted 30 days later. Psychosocial adjustment was measured as a multidimensional construct using the Affects Balance Scale, the Brief Symptom Inventory, and the Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale. Repeated measures analysis indicated that husbands' scores did not differ significantly from patients' scores on the adjustment measures that assessed level of mood and amount of symptom distress. Both patients and husbands reported levels of distress significantly above the level reported for the normal population. Patients and husbands differed only on the adjustment measure that assessed problems in carrying out various psychosocial roles, with patients reporting more role adjustment problems than husbands. Although both patients and husbands reported dramatic improvement in their levels of mood from Time 1 to Time 2, no significant change occurred in their levels of distress. Medical and demographic factors had little relationship to subjects' levels of adjustments at either time.