A literature review on the mutual impact of the spousal caregiver–cancer patients dyads: ‘Communication’, ‘reciprocal influence’, and ‘caregiver–patient congruence’☆
Abstract
Purpose
A
diagnosis of cancer is the start of a journey of distress and
adjustment for both the patient and his/her spouse. However, the dyadic
phenomena are less conceptualised and related research is in the early
stages. This review explores concepts of mutuality among spousal
caregiver–cancer patient dyads and identifies directions for future
research.
Method
A systematic search, including trawling
through six electronic databases, a manual search, and an author search,
was conducted to identity articles that had been published in English
and Chinese from January 2000 to March 2013, using key terms related to
caregiver–patients dyads in cancer care. An inductive content analysis
approach was adopted to analyse and synthesise the concepts of spousal
caregiver–cancer patient dyads.
Results
Thirty-one
articles were identified. The findings are described according to
Fletcher et al.'s proposals for conceptualising spousal
caregiver–patient dyads. The proposed concepts of ‘communication’,
‘reciprocal influence’, and ‘caregiver–patient congruence’ have been
found to be interrelated, and to contribute to the spousal
caregiver–patient dyads' mutual appraisal of caregiving and role
adjustment through the cancer trajectory.
Conclusions
The
findings highlight the importance of a perspective that focuses on the
nature of the relationship between couples coping with cancer and the
quality of their communication with each other. It is recognised that
communication may act as a fundamental element of the abovementioned
three concepts. Better communication between couples would probably
facilitate reciprocal influence and caregiver–patient congruence, which
in turn would have a positive effect on intimacy between the couple and
improve the caregiving outcomes.
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