Family Sense of Coherence, Dyadic Coping, and Quality of Life in Young and Middle-Aged Patients With Advanced Lung Cancer and Spousal Caregivers: An Actor-Partner Interdependence Mediation Model.

[BACKGROUND] Cancer is now recognized as a dyadic stress that seriously impacts the mental and physical well-being of both patients and their spousal caregivers (SCs). Analyzing from a dyadic perspective whether and how dyadic coping and family sense of coherence (FSOC) affect the quality of life (QOL) of couples is crucial.

[OBJECTIVE] To investigate the dyadic association between FSOC, dyadic coping, and QOL in young and middle-aged couples facing advanced lung cancer and to evaluate the mediating role of dyadic coping from a dyadic perspective.

[METHODS] From October 2023 to April 2024, 202 dyads were recruited from 2 tertiary care hospitals in Tianjin, China. The participants' measurement indicators were evaluated using corresponding questionnaires. The procedure for dyadic analysis was based on the Actor-Partner Interdependence Mediation Model.

[RESULTS] The actor effect of FSOC on the QOL was mediated by the dyadic coping of patients ( β  = .100; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.053-0.155; P  = .001) and SCs ( β  = .124; 95% CI, 0.059-0.193; P  = .002). The partner effect suggested that patients' QOL may be indirectly impacted by SCs' FSOC through patients' dyadic coping ( β  = .078; 95% CI, 0.038-0.127; P  = .004).

[CONCLUSIONS] The QOL, dyadic coping, and FSOC of young and middle-aged couples facing advanced lung cancer were dyadically interdependent. To enhance couples' QOL, strategies for intervention must be developed.

[IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE] This study offered a novel viewpoint on the relationship between QOL, dyadic coping, and FSOC and provided a theoretical foundation for the creation of dyadic intervention strategies meant to enhance cancer couples' QOL.