Couples Coping With Cancer

[Jennifer Bernard]

Dear Colleagues and Friends:

 

It is my pleasure to announce an upcoming online study titled: Couples Coping with Cancer. I am wondering if you would be able to help me in recruitment for this important topic by allowing me to post my study to your website?

 

Oftentimes, there is greater focus on the cancer patient than the couple as a whole during diagnosis and treatment for cancer. When in fact, the relationship itself is also threatened by a partner’s illness and relational resiliency is important to the physical and mental well-being of both partner’s affected. I have seen this first hand as a caregiver to a parent with cancer and as a mental health professional.

 

This study examines the influence of interpersonal communication and supportive behaviors in couple’s coping with cancer as part of a dissertation for PhD in Clinical Psychology at the University of New Mexico.

 

Couple’s interested in the study will be initially screened by myself for inclusion into the study. Heterosexual couple’s currently cohabitating for at least 1 year or more may participate. Participation in the study requires one partner having had a cancer diagnosis in the last year for disease stage 1-3 (TNM staging) excluding stage 4, cancers of the brain and spinal cord, and cancers of the blood or bone marrow including lymphomas and leukemias. Participation also requires both partner’s consent and willing participation in separately filling out a one-time online questionnaire.

 

Interested participants may email me at jber...@unm.edu for more information and prescreening.

 

Potential participants that do not meet the inclusion criteria in the initial screening will be thanked for their interest and declined. Couples who are initially screened and go on to complete the questionnaire will be entered in a drawing to win one of ten cash prizes (1 - $75 gift card, 3 - $50 gift card, 6 - $25 Visa gift cards) dispensed within six months of participating.

Participation is completely voluntary and may be withdrawn at any time.

 

Please let me know if you have any interest or questions about this study.  I look forward to working with you and your patients.

 

Sincerely,

 

Jennifer Bernard, M.S.

Co-Investigator

Doctoral Candidate Clinical Psychology

University of New Mexico

 

Bruce W. Smith, Ph.D.

Principal Investigator

Associate Professor Psychology Department

University of New Mexico

 

UNM North Campus IRB Approved Study #13-514