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Couples / Close Relationships

What makes my partner and I ‘us’: An Adaptation of the Relationship Checkup for Couples Facing Breast Cancer

(PS4-D95) What Makes My Partner and I ‘us’: An Adaptation of the Relationship Checkup for Couples Facing Breast Cancer

Friday, November 17, 2023
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM PST
Location: Regency Ballroom, Level 7
For couples facing a breast cancer diagnosis, joy is all too often eclipsed by experiences of fear, fatigue, frustration, and isolation (Yang, 2019). Experiences of psychosocial stress caused by cancer diagnosis and treatment affect the patient and their partner, harming experiences of attachment, sexuality, intimacy, and self-esteem (Zimmerman, 2015). Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer and the most common cause of cancer-related deaths for women worldwide (Bray et al., 2018). It can be argued that a majority of cancer-related concerns are ultimately relational—affecting and being affected by the relationship. Relationship health has consistently been shown to reduce the burden of disease (Manne et al., 2004), and approaches to cultivating the joy of a healthy relationship are a significant part of evidence based practices from the beginning (Dickenson, 2011). This poster will present qualitative data from an adaptation of the Relationship Checkup (Cordova et al., 2014), analyzing the phenomenological experiences of individual and relational well-being of three international couples in which one partner was in active treatment for breast cancer. Through thematic analysis (Kiger & Varpio, 2020), qualitative responses regarding the impact of the Relationship Checkup for three international couples actively receiving treatment for a breast cancer diagnosis were coded and reviewed, revealing themes of tender fulfillment, meaning-making through intentional partnered reflection, and recognition and acknowledgment of relational changes since the initial diagnosis. The couples overwhelmingly reported benefit from engaging in the Breast Cancer Relationship Checkup (BCRC). Responses indicated that they appreciated taking the time to reconcile and address the toll breast cancer had taken on the relationship and finding comfort and strength through recultivating their connections. These qualitative findings indicate preliminary support for the BCRC as a preventative intervention to (a) mitigate relational distress correlated with undergoing active cancer treatment and (b) strengthen relationship health as an integral tool for sustaining resilience during active cancer treatment.