Department of Psychology

Colorectal cancer is the third most common type of new cancer cases and second most common cause of cancer-related deaths for both men and women. Cancer survivors report the cancer experience is not just an individual issue, but an interpersonal issue. A recent meta-analysis of psychological distress within couples coping with cancer found that when cancer patients feel distress, so do their partners and spouses.  However, within heterosexual couples, women report greater distress than men, regardless of the patient or caregiver role (Hagedoorn, Sanderman, Bolks, Tuinstra, & Coyne, 2008). 

Regardless of gender, a significant predictor of psychological distress is how one copes with cancer. Not surprisingly, communication and coping dynamics within couples appear to play an important role in determining distress for both the patient and the partner.  Open and empathic communication and constructive problem solving between patients and their partners has been shown to be associated with greater marital satisfaction and may be an effective strategy for couples coping with the stress of cancer.  

On the other hand, couples may engage in interpersonal dynamics that are well-meaning, but unhelpful.  For example, unwanted advice offered under the guise of encouragement, denying one’s worries, and concealing upsetting information from one’s spouse have been found to be related to greater distress in both cancer patients and their partners (Manne, Norton, Ostroff, Winkel, Fox, & Grana, 2007).

Dr. Hart, her colleagues and her students are examining these questions in an ongoing prospective, longitudinal study of colorectal cancer patients and their spouses and partners, funded by the Lance Armstrong Foundation.  Despite the prevalence of colorectal cancer, few studies have examined couples’ coping and distress in this population.  Dr. Hart’s preliminary data have shown that couples report higher levels of depression shortly after diagnosis when both patients and partners are hiding worries from one another.  As colorectal cancer generally affects men and women equally, studying couples where one partner has been diagnosed with colorectal cancer provides an opportunity to examine the contribution of role (patient vs. partner) and gender (male vs. female) to coping dynamics and psychological distress.   Dr. Hart’s laboratory currently is collecting data on these issues.