Abstract
Objective: This study revealed the landscape of noncancer conversations, identifying topics and types of everyday conversation, and examined links to psychological adjustment among couples coping with breast cancer. Methods: Fifty-two couples wore the Electronically Activated Recorder (EAR) over 1 weekend and self-reported psychological adjustment while patients were on treatment. The EAR sampled 50 s of ambient sound every 9 minutes to estimate the frequency of noncancer conversation and reveal topics and types of conversation. Results: Analyses revealed noncancer conversations comprised over 93% of conversations. The most common topic discussed was people. Substantive conversation was associated with better, while emotional disclosure was associated with worse, well-being for patients, but not spouses. Conclusions: Results revealed that ordinary conversations are frequent among couples who face breast cancer, and they are associated with patients' psychological adjustment, providing a foundation for potential interventions for coping with cancer that do not focus on illness.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 2206-2213 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Psycho-Oncology |
Volume | 27 |
Issue number | 9 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Sep 2018 |
Keywords
- Electronically Activated Recorder (EAR)
- cancer
- close relationships
- emotional disclosure
- oncology
- substantive conversation
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
- Oncology
- Psychiatry and Mental health