Tineke Vandenbroucke1,2, Sileny N Han1,2, Kristel Van Calsteren3,4, Tom F Wilderjans5,6, Bea R H Van den Bergh6,7, Laurence Claes6,8, Frédéric Amant1,2,9. 1. Department of Oncology, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. 2. Gynecological Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. 3. Department of Development and Regeneration, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. 4. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. 5. Methodology and Statistics Research Unit, Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands. 6. Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. 7. Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands. 8. Faculty of Medicine and Mental Health (CAPRI), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium. 9. Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: A cancer diagnosis during pregnancy may be considered as an emotional challenge for pregnant women and their partners. We aimed to identify women and partners at risk for high levels of distress based on their coping profile. METHODS: Sixty-one pregnant women diagnosed with cancer and their partners filled out the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ) and the newly constructed Cancer and Pregnancy Questionnaire (CPQ). K-means cluster analysis was performed on the CERQ scales. Scores on the CPQ were compared between the women and their partners and between the CERQ-clusters. RESULTS: Comparison of women and partners on the CPQ did not reveal significant differences on distress about the child's health, the cancer disease, and the pregnancy or on information satisfaction (P = .16, P = .44, P = .50, and P = .47, respectively). However, women were more inclined to maintain the pregnancy than their partners (P = .011). Three clusters were retrieved based on the CERQ scales, characterized by positive coping, internalizing coping, and blaming. Women and partners using internalizing strategies had significantly higher scores on concerns about the child's health (P = .039), the disease and treatment (P < .001), and the pregnancy and delivery (P = .009) compared with positive and blaming strategies. No cluster differences were found for information satisfaction (P = .71) and tendency to maintain the pregnancy (P = .35). CONCLUSION: Women and partners using internalizing coping strategies deal with the highest levels of distress and may benefit from additional psychosocial support.
OBJECTIVE: A cancer diagnosis during pregnancy may be considered as an emotional challenge for pregnant women and their partners. We aimed to identify women and partners at risk for high levels of distress based on their coping profile. METHODS: Sixty-one pregnant women diagnosed with cancer and their partners filled out the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ) and the newly constructed Cancer and Pregnancy Questionnaire (CPQ). K-means cluster analysis was performed on the CERQ scales. Scores on the CPQ were compared between the women and their partners and between the CERQ-clusters. RESULTS: Comparison of women and partners on the CPQ did not reveal significant differences on distress about the child's health, the cancer disease, and the pregnancy or on information satisfaction (P = .16, P = .44, P = .50, and P = .47, respectively). However, women were more inclined to maintain the pregnancy than their partners (P = .011). Three clusters were retrieved based on the CERQ scales, characterized by positive coping, internalizing coping, and blaming. Women and partners using internalizing strategies had significantly higher scores on concerns about the child's health (P = .039), the disease and treatment (P < .001), and the pregnancy and delivery (P = .009) compared with positive and blaming strategies. No cluster differences were found for information satisfaction (P = .71) and tendency to maintain the pregnancy (P = .35). CONCLUSION:Women and partners using internalizing coping strategies deal with the highest levels of distress and may benefit from additional psychosocial support.
Authors: Charlotte Maggen; Vera E R A Wolters; Elyce Cardonick; Monica Fumagalli; Michael J Halaska; Christianne A R Lok; Jorine de Haan; Katrien Van Tornout; Kristel Van Calsteren; Frédéric Amant Journal: Curr Oncol Rep Date: 2020-02-05 Impact factor: 5.075