Interdependent psychological quality of life in dyads adjusting to prostate cancer

Objective: Prostate cancer negatively influences quality of life (QOL) in survivors and the people with whom they are close. The purpose of this investigation was to assess the degree of dyadic interdependence in psychological QOL in dyads adjusting to prostate cancer and its treatment. Method: Participants were 70 prostate cancer survivors and their partners, most of whom were spouses. Assessments of psychological QOL (i.e., depression, anxiety, fatigue, and positive affect) were made at three points in time, each separated by 8 weeks. Results: Survivors' prostate specific function was associated with both their own and their partners' psychological QOL. There was evidence of longitudinal dyadic interdependence for psychological QOL, particularly from partners to survivors between the T2 and T3 assessments. Conclusions: Prostate cancer survivors' psychological QOL is affected substantially by their partners' psychological QOL, consistent with theories of emotional contagion.