Male Partners of Breast Cancer Patients Seek Support, Too

In the first ever investigation of the hope experience of male spouses of breast cancer patients, researchers discovered that these male partners are more likely to exercise or spend an evening out with friends than attend spousal support groups in order to cope with stresses associated with the disease.

According to University of Alberta’s Faculty of Nursing professor Wendy Duggleby, spouses of women with breast cancer have unique needs when attempting to maintain a sense of hope at a time when they provide important physical and emotional support for their ailing partners.

“There are many programs out there for women, but for men a lot of support mechanisms are support groups, and it was very clear from the participants in our study that’s not what they wanted,” said Duggleby, Endowed Nursing Research Chair in Aging and Quality of Life. “What these spouses needed was help finding ways to do things for themselves to help reduce their stress.”

Ensuring a sense of hope for the men not only helps lower their risk for depression, it helps their female partners as well. “For women with breast cancer, it actually helps with their own quality of life if we can do something to help the men. It’s very interconnected,” Duggleby said.

For the study, published in Oncology Nursing Forum, men in Edmonton and Saskatoon were surveyed about hope and their ability to cope with their spouses’ breast cancer. Many responses mentioned the challenge of finding hope and balance while managing career, added household duties, and care.

In study interviews, many spouses claimed to find balance by exercising, listening to music, and spending time away with friends. However, a strong desire to be able to talk to or hear from other spouses going through similar struggles was prevalent. Work schedules, nevertheless, presented challenges with attending support groups and medical appointments.

Duggleby said the findings should help healthcare providers and agencies provide the specific support and resources these men need. “They really do want something that’s specific for them, tailored for their needs. It doesn’t have to be done through a research study. There is a lot that can be done just based on what these spouses said and the ideas they provided. It would make a huge, huge difference.”

Source: University of Alberta.