Partners of cancer patients: Part II. Current psychosocial interventions and suggestions for improvement

Although the adjustment of cancer patients' partners has been studied more extensively in;recent years than previously, three areas of research have n ot been integrated into the literature: (1) the impact of cancer on the par tner across different stages of the illness trajectory, (2) gender differen ces in partner's reactions and adjustment, and (3) psychosocial interventio ns for partners. In Part I of their review, the authors discussed the partn ers' experiences, how the illness affected partners, and how partners adjus ted to and coped with the patient's illness. Part II reviews the interventi ons that have been developed to help patients' partners and concludes with suggestions for providing interventions tailored specifically for different populations of partners.