Trial Information

Dyadic Coping in Breast and Prostate Cancer Patients and Their Spouses - A Pilot Stdy

Introduction:

In the proposed study, we will investigate the risk and protective factors for healthy
coping amongst breast and prostrate cancer patients and their spouses. A special focus will
be on dyadic coping patterns, i.e. how do the coping patterns of the patient and his/her
spouse correlate and how does the spousal response facilitate or impede the outcome of
coping of the patient.

Different aspects of coping with the trauma of cancer and its treatment may be assessed.
Measures of strength and distress amongst patients and their spouses may enable a fuller
picture of what types of responses exist, which interventions may be most beneficial, and
what other factors may relate to positive coping, increased resilience and quality of life,
such as flexibility, and the nature of the couples' dyadic coping.

All new incoming married patients to the Institute of Radiotherapy at the Tel Aviv
(Sourasky) Medical Center from September to January, 2007 will be presented with the request
to participate in this research. Overall, we plan to recruit 40 breast and prostate cancer
patients and their spouses.

Measures:

1. Demographic and medical questionnaire (adapted to the type of illness).

2. Exposure to trauma. Participants' exposure to possible traumatic events was assessed
by The Trauma History Scale created by Pat-Horenczyk in 2004 based on the Posttraumatic
Diagnostic Scale (PDS) by Foa, Cashman, Jaycox, and Perry (1997).

3. Posttraumatic Stress Diagnostic Scale (PDS). A self-report assessment that meets all
the criteria of the DSM-IV for diagnosis of PTSD developed by Foa, Cashman, Jaycox &
Perry, 1997).

4. Depression questionnaire (CESD, The Centre For Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale
(CES-D).

5. Flexibility Questionnaire: The Flexibility Scale was developed by Bonanno and
Pat-Horenczyk in (2006) and translated into Hebrew.

6. Dyadic coping : The quality of adjustment in the marital relationship will be measured
using the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS). This 32 item measure is widely used in
clinical and research settings and consists of four subscales: Dyadic Consensus,
Dyadic Satisfaction, Dyadic Cohesion and Affectional Expression.

7. Self efficacy: The GSE (General perceived self efficacy scale) was developed by
Zeidner, Jerusalem & Schwarzer (1993) and includes 10 items which measure positive self
statements with regards to a variety of coping requirements.

8. Ego Resilience: The short 14 item version of Ego-Resiliency Scale was presented in
1996 by Block & Kremen (1996).

Procedure:

Physicians working at the Institute of Radiotherapy at the Tel Aviv (Sourasky) Medical
Center will inform all potential participants about the purpose of the study. Those who show
interest and match the inclusion criteria will be asked to sign the informed consent with
the doctor, who will provide more detailed information. The research assistant will set up a
meeting at the Medical Center with the each interested couple (individually with each
couple) to fill out the questionnaires. The approximate time for filling out the entire
battery is 30 minutes. In order to participate, both patients and their spouses must agree
to fill out the questionnaires at the three time points.

In the informed consent it will be specified that participants who may experience distress
following the questionnaire or as a result of the research will be offered short individual
or couple counseling as needed by the psychosocial staff of the Institute of Radiotherapy.