This study seeks to test a brief psychological intervention for spousal caregivers of cancer patients (specifically, hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients), persons known to experience emotional distress.
This project focuses on spousal caregivers (CGs) of hematopoietic stem cell transplant survivors - persons known to report elevated levels of distress as compared to both norms and their patient counterparts. Specific Aims are to: (1) Determine, via experimental manipulation, whether or not CGs of hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients engage in protective buffering, a coping mechanism whereby partners shield patients from illness-related concerns or worries, (2) Examine synchrony or lack thereof, desynchrony, among subjective, expressive and biologic indicators of emotion among spousal CGs, and (3) Test the feasibility and implementation of an emotional expression (EE) exercise designed to enhance psychological and immune functioning among spousal CGs.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
122
Caregivers are given the opportunity to express their thoughts and feelings regarding the patient's transplant and their role as caregiver
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Seattle, Washington, United States
Self-reported mental and physical health as measured by the Short Form-36 Health Survey
Time frame: baseline, 1-month follow-up, and 4-month follow-up
Marital satisfaction as measured by the Dyadic Adjustment Scale
Time frame: pre-transplant, baseline, 1-month follow-up, and 4-month follow-up
Self- and partner-reported protective buffering as measured by the Protective Buffering Scale
Time frame: pre-transplant, baseline, 1-month follow-up, and 4-month follow-up
Emotional experience as assessed by the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule
Time frame: During intervention/ disclosure sessions
Galvanic skin response (physiological indicator of emotion)
Time frame: During intervention/ disclosure sessions
Emotional expression (facial expression and words uttered)
Time frame: During intervention/ disclosure sessions
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