COUPLES COPING WITH CANCER - RESEARCH ISSUES AND RECENT FINDINGS

The diagnosis of cancer in one partner can impose numerous changes for both the individual diagnosed with cancer and his or her healthy spou se. In this article, the literature on spouse social support in the co ntext of cancer is reviewed. The importance of understanding support g iven and received within a close relationship using an interactional, contextual perspective is emphasized. Examining support-related intera ctions and understanding the personal characteristics that determine t he type and amount of support that providers give and the kind of supp ort individuals prefer, and investigating why significant others respo nd in supportive or critical ways is important. In addition, the study of support interactions must be placed in the both in the context of a marriage and in the context of a catastrophic life event such as can cer. A longitudinal study of patients with gastrointestinal cancer and their healthy partners was undertaken to examine these issues, and th e design of this study is described. General problems conducting resea rch with couples undergoing a severe life stressor as well as specific problems our research group has encountered while setting up a resear ch program in the cancer setting are reviewed.