2008-4-3 8:53:19
妻子心理决定抗癌效果
美国癌症学会的一份研究报告表明，当夫妻两人中有一人身患癌症时，无论患癌者是否为丈夫，他的健康状况都会受到妻子心理状况的直接影响。
这一研究由癌症学会下属行为研究中心研究员金英美博士（音译）主导撰写，发表在最新一期《行为医学年报》（Annals of Behavioral Medicine）上。研究者对168对夫妇开展研究。每对夫妇中都有一人在研究开始大约2年前被诊断患有前列腺癌或乳腺癌。
研究人员发现，癌症病人自身的心理压力大不大是决定其生活质量的最关键因素。大体上，癌症病人和配偶的忧虑程度类似，相互间的影响并不大。
然而，研究人员发现，女性乳腺癌病人的心理压力程度与其丈夫的身体健康有联系，前列腺癌病人的妻子所承受心理压力程度也会影响患者健康程度。
报告说：“尽管这两种影响看起来完全不相同，但实际上非常相似，都表明（无论是作为患者还是护理者）女性的心理忧虑程度都会影响到她丈夫的身体健康。”
金英美告诉路透社，对男性来说，女性的心理忧虑会让他们感到紧张。男性可能在心理上不易感觉到这种压力，但却会在他们的身体上体现出来。比如他们会背疼或头疼，这种现象被称作躯体化。
金英美说，一般来说，除丈夫外，女性都会有朋友可以倾诉，提供情感上的支持，但男性往往没有这种可以“交心”的朋友，配偶是他们唯一的情感来源。“如果他们的妻子心理忧虑，就意味着妻子无法提供情感支持，”她说。
金英美说，这一结论表明，治疗癌症不光应着眼疾病，还应关怀整个人，甚至更多。“我们需要应对整个患者家庭，”她说。（来源：新华网）
生物谷推荐原始出处：
（Annals of Behavioral Medicine），doi：10.1007/s12160-008-9026-y，Youngmee Kim，Tenbroeck G. Smith
Quality of Life of Couples Dealing with Cancer: Dyadic and Individual Adjustment among Breast and Prostate Cancer Survivors and Their Spousal Caregivers
Youngmee Kim1 
, Deborah A. Kashy2, David K. Wellisch3, Rachel L. Spillers1, Chiew Kwei Kaw1 and Tenbroeck G. Smith1
| (1) |
Behavioral Research Center, American Cancer Society, 250 Williams St. NW., Atlanta, GA 30303, USA |
| (2) |
Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA |
| (3) |
University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA |
Published online: 18 March 2008
Abstract
Background and Purpose Although evidence suggests that survivors and spousal caregivers tend to experience somewhat similar levels of distress and that the survivor’s distress affects his/her own quality of life, the degree to which each person’s distress has an independent effect on their partner’s quality of life is unknown. Thus, this study aimed to examine the dyadic effects of psychological distress on the quality of life of couples dealing with cancer.
Methods A total of 168 married survivor–caregiver dyads participating in the American Cancer Society’s Study of Cancer Survivors-I and Quality of Life Survey for Caregivers provided complete data for study variables. Participating survivors were diagnosed with either breast or prostate cancer approximately 2 years prior to participating in the study.
Results Using the Actor Partner Interdependence Model, results revealed that although each person’s psychological distress is the strongest predictor of their own quality of life, partner’s distress and (dis)similarity in distress of the couple also play significant roles in one’s quality of life. In addition, the adverse effect of having a partner who is less emotionally resourceful was especially pronounced on men’s physical health.
Conclusions Our systematic investigation provided valuable evidence for identifying the subgroup of cancer survivors and their spouses who are vulnerable to poor quality of life due to their mutual psychological distress. These findings suggest that couples may benefit from interventions that enhance their ability to manage psychological distress, particularly the wife’s, which may improve the mental and physical health of both partners when they are dealing with cancer.
