Brief Psychosocial Intervention for Head and Neck Cancer Patients and Partners

拟议的试点研究是为了回应NCI宣布这一计划的目标之一，即 检查癌症诊断和治疗对患者和家庭的不利和积极影响，并 制定和评估改善生活质量和减少负面后果的干预措施。这 前瞻性的纵向项目旨在加深我们对Head的心理社会后遗症的理解 和宫颈癌患者和他们的伴侣或配偶，使用定量和定性 方法，并开发和测试一个简短的夫妇干预的可行性，旨在改善 夫妻的幸福感、生活质量和关系。癌症的不确定性和危及生命的本质 诊断可能会导致焦虑、抑郁和创伤性压力。 身体和情感上的破坏性疾病，可能导致面部毁容，以及 言语、饮食和行动能力。这导致了低质量的生活。患者的配偶也会经历痛苦， 照顾者的负担，并降低了他们自己的生活质量。 旨在改善癌症患者心理调整和生活质量的研究显示前景看好 结果，头颈部癌症在这方面的研究还不够深入，而且几乎没有关于 将配偶包括在干预中，或将夫妻关系作为干预对象。《公约》的具体目标 建议的研究是(1)表征头部和头部的调整的消极和积极的症状 随着时间的推移，宫颈癌患者和他们的伴侣的心理社会通路 以人际关系为中心的应对和关系质量可能会影响这些症状。阴性症状 包括创伤应激、抑郁和焦虑，积极症状包括发育增强和 生活质量；(2)定性检查头颈癌对患者、伴侣和他们的影响 以及(3)评估短暂的两次夫妻干预以提高质量的可行性 生活质量和关系质量。将招募80对夫妇(n=160)。痛苦，创伤应激，阳性 患者和伴侣的结果、应对、关系质量和生活质量将在以下方面进行评估 癌症确诊后1个月和6个月。其中20对夫妇还将参加一场定性的 面试。另外还将招募10对夫妇来测试心理社会干预的可行性。

The proposed pilot research is in response to one of NCI's goals of this program announcement, which is to examine both adverse and positive effects of cancer diagnosis and treatment on patients and families, and to develop and evaluate interventions to improve quality of life and decrease negative outcomes. This prospective, longitudinal project seeks to further our understanding of the psychosocial sequelae of head and neck cancer for both patients and their partners or spouses, using both quantitative and qualitative methods, and to develop and test the feasibility of a brief couples intervention designed to improve the couples' well-being, quality of life, and relationship. The uncertainty and life threatening nature of cancer diagnoses can lead to anxiety, depression, and traumatic stress. Further, head and neck cancer is a physically and emotionally devastating disease that can cause facial disfigurement, as well as difficulties with speech, eating, and mobility. This results in poor quality of life. Spouses of patients also experience distress, caregiver burden, and decreases in their own quality of life. Although behavioral medicine interventions designed to improve psychological adjustment and quality of life in cancer patients have shown promising outcomes, head and neck cancer has been understudied in this context and there has been little research on including spouses in the intervention, or targeting the relationship for intervention. The specific aims of the proposed research are to (1) characterize both negative and positive symptoms of adjustment to head and neck cancer in patients and their partners over time, and to examine the psychosocial pathways in which relationship-focused coping and relationship quality may affect these symptoms. Negative symptoms include traumatic stress, depression, and anxiety and positive symptoms include enhanced growth and quality of life; (2) qualitatively examine the impact of head and neck cancer on patients, partners, and their relationship; and (3) to evaluate the feasibility of a brief two-session couples intervention to improve quality of life and relationship quality. Eighty couples (n=160) will be recruited. Distress, traumatic stress, positive outcomes, coping, relationship quality, and quality of life will be assessed in both patients and partners at one and six months after cancer diagnosis. Twenty of these couples will also participate in a qualitative interview. Ten additional couples will be recruited to test the feasibilty of the psychosocial intervention.