Attachment-oriented psychological intervention for couples facing breast cancer: protocol of a randomised controlled trial

• Published in: BMC Psychology Vol. 2; no. 1; p. 19
• Main Authors: Nicolaisen, Anne, Hansen, Dorte G, Hagedoorn, Mariët, Flyger, Henrik E, Rottmann, Nina, Nielsen, Per, Søe, Katrine, Pedersen, Anne E, Johansen, Christoffer
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 14.07.2014; BioMed Central
• Subjects: Adjuvant treatment; Cancer; Health aspects; Medical research; Medicine, Experimental; Psychologists; Study Protocol; Partners; RCT; Attachment; Breast cancer; Psychological intervention
• ISSN: 2050-7283; 2050-7283
• DOI: 10.1186/2050-7283-2-19

There is evidence that both breast cancer patients and their partners are affected emotionally, when facing a breast cancer diagnosis. Several couple interventions have been evaluated, but there is a need for couple intervention studies with a clear theoretical basis and a strong design. The Hand in Hand intervention is designed to enhance interdependent coping in the couples and to address patients and partners that are both initially distressed and non-distressed. The Hand in Hand study is a randomised controlled trial among 199 breast cancer patients and their partners. Couples were randomised to 4-8 couple sessions with a psychologist in addition to usual care, or to usual care only, approximately 2 months after the patients' primary surgery date. The intervention was delivered within 3 months, and outcomes were assessed prior to randomisation and 5 and 10 months after primary surgery date. The primary outcome is patients' cancer-specific distress at the 5-month follow-up measured by the Impact of Event Scale. Secondary outcomes are assessed for both breast cancer patients and partners. These outcomes are: general distress, symptoms of anxiety and depression, health-related quality of life and measures of dyadic adjustment, intimacy and partner involvement. Cancer-specific distress is also assessed for partners. Eligible patients were women ≥ 18 years newly diagnosed with primary breast cancer, cohabiting with a male partner, having no previous cancer diagnoses, receiving no neo-adjuvant treatment, having no history of hospitalisation due to psychosis, and able to read and speak Danish. Partners were eligible if they could read and speak Danish and were ≥ 18 years. This study investigates the effect of an attachment-oriented psychological intervention for breast cancer patients and their partners. The intervention has a theoretical framework and a strong design. If proven effective, this intervention would be helpful in optimising psychosocial care and rehabilitation of couples coping with breast cancer. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01368380.