Enhancing the cancer caregiving experience: Building resilience through role adjustment and mutuality.
Susanne W Gibbons, Alyson Ross, Leslie Wehrlen and 2 others
PMID 31606005WHAT IT FOUND
Cancer survivors and caregivers described resilience as coming from constant role renegotiation and shared meaning.
They shifted from a 'take mode' to a partnership where both protected the other's well-being. This mutual adjustment, not just caregiving, helped them recover their social lives.
Key findings
01Resilience in cancer dyads is driven by two main processes: adjusting to changing roles and building mutuality, or shared meaning and sensitivity.
02Caregivers and patients actively negotiate who is 'in charge' as treatment ends, with caregivers stepping back from an illness-manager role to return to being partners.
03Participants reported that the cancer experience led to altruism, with many moving to 'give back' to their communities as a way to process the trauma.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The sample was small (12 dyads) and homogeneous in race, education, and socioeconomic status. Participants were recruited from a single research center, limiting generalizability to other clinical settings. The study used purposive sampling, which may introduce bias. The couples who participated were generally well-adjusted, potentially excluding those with more severe relationship strain.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was conducted at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that high mutuality or resilience is a standard outcome for all cancer dyads. This study focused on a small, well-adjusted sample from a specific research center, and the results describe themes rather than proven interventions.